Rose is the Warmest Color
by lonelyxsonata
Summary: Rose is a dancer from a nomadic family of performers who travel around the world. Her world changes when her family is hired to perform at an obscure island named Castanet where she meets a handsome blacksmith who becomes intrigued by her. However, he isn't the only one who has noticed the mysterious dancer. Who will win Rose over, and will they be enough to convince her to stay?
1. Castanet

**Author's Note: Hi! This is my first fan fiction based on Harvest Moon: Animal Parade, so reviews and constructive criticism are welcome. If there are enough favorable reviews, I'll make sure to continue the story. I decided to go on a whole new different direction from other Harvest Moon based fan fictions, so I hope you all enjoy!**

**Harvest Moon does not belong to me, only the made up characters.**

I didn't understand why everyone was so happy. I glanced at the tiny speck in the distance that was gradually growing in size as we approached. That tiny speck is our next destination, an island known as Castanet. I found myself placing my hands on the rails of the small ship that was taking us there and leaning in a little bit. Being born and raised in the city has given me a greater appreciation towards nature, particularly. I inhaled the salty sea breeze, hoping it would calm my nerves. I allowed myself to indulge in my thoughts:

_I hope we don't mess this up; we need this gig to finally afford an actual place to live. And once we get the money where will we go, where will we live? Are we meant to be nomads for the rest of our lives?_

My thoughts were soon interrupted by a sudden smack on my backside and a twinkling laugh. I gasped in surprise and whirled around to see Marina bent over in laughter.

"Relax! You look so serious all the time, loosen up girl! We've never had to perform in such a small town before, what's there to stress about?" Marina placed her hands on her hips and gave me a triumphant grin. "Do you honestly think they've seen dancers like us before?"

I frowned. "Are you sure we should be wearing our costumes right now?" I glanced up and down at her, closely scrutinizing her outfit: a traditional belly dancing outfit bedazzled from top to bottom, with glittery (and outlandish) jewelry to match. I reached out to adjust her top, "This thing makes you look a little…top heavy."

Marina gasped and smacked my hands away from her bosom, "That's the whole idea! Sex sells baby! Who knows? I might get the attention of a few country boys, know what I mean?" She winked and walked towards the rest of our company, dressed almost as outlandish if not worse.

I leaned against the rails and looked at the wooden floors. Why did Mama insist on us wearing these clothes? Shouldn't we wait until we actually perform?

I thought about what Mama said the night before we departed to Castanet, _"Listen everybody! Dress to impress these people, first impressions are the lasting impressions! Let us show them what we are about by wearing the one outfit that best suits our special talent!" _

Talent as in what dance we specialize in.

Our group consisted of twelve trained dancers, and some of us were classically trained singers. Marco was best at hip hop so he was wearing his Vans, Chachimommas, and a snapback. Adilene was known for her love of boy bands and pop music, so she wore a cutesy babydoll dress. Joyce was best at ballet, so she had tights and leotards with flats on. And Marina, was obviously the best belly dancer.

Mama was always the best dancer, particularly in Latin dancing. And I was her young protégé. Thinking about this made me realize what I was wearing: a red asymmetrical salsa dress which, unfortunately, showed quite a bit of my right leg with each step I took. I quickly took a hold of the slit on that side of my dress and grabbed it almost for dear life. I couldn't bear the thought of innocent country folk thinking of me as a raunchy dancer or anything. Another light breeze reminded me that I had my back exposed as well and I jumped at the sudden cool breeze. I shivered, wishing I had a shoulder shrug or something to cover up.

Before I knew it, that tiny speck came into full view and I finally saw this obscure island no one has heard about. It was breathtaking. Green, lush trees grew everywhere. Fields of flowers. Soothing breeze. Crisp, blue water. I didn't realize that I was soon joined by the rest of my family, all staring in awe as well.

"Welcome to Castanet, folks!"

We turned around to see the ship's captain, Pascal, coming out his cabin and walking towards us with a wide smile on his face. Some of us said our thanks while the rest still stared in awe of the island. We didn't even notice the matriarch of the family walk out of the ship's cabin until she started laughing at our expression and excitement. I know that laugh anywhere. It was Mama.

"Alright babies! Grab your bags, don't leave anything on the ship, we are about to reach land!" she boomed in that loud, assertive voice of hers. Everyone scrambled to get their belongings from the back of the ship, except myself. Mama took notice of this and walked towards me with sternness in her voice but a smile in her face, "Look, I understand that you are quite the serious performer but would you mind softening your face? You need to help represent this company, my company, in the best light possible. We are here to show these people our culture, a good time, and hopefully in return we can finally garner the funds to have a place of our own. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Mama. I do, but honestly I don't mean to be so serious or intimidate people. I just feel wary all the time or am deep in thought. One thing I can promise," I said as I took a step towards Mama, "is that I will dance my heart out. People don't even notice my face much when I dance, I promise that much."

Mama placed a hand on my face, "Alright, mija. I know despite your hardass-ness you have quite a talent. Sing a little too, maybe that will easen up patrons." I turned my face away in embarrassment at the mention of 'hardass'. I'm notorious for being that person in the family.

"You go first!"

"No you get off!"

"Send Adilene first, she's the attention whore!"

"MAMA DID YOU HEAR THAT?!"

"But is she lying though…"

The rest of our crew were bickering about who should get off the boat first. I smirked, I knew they were all nervous after all. However, me being the peacemaker (hopefully not by intimidation) thought of a solution. Although to me the solution was a bit too obvious.

"Send Mama first, she's the head of the company. She should introduce us."

Everyone stopped arguing almost instantly and looked at me, who was casually leaning against the wall of the ship cabin messing with my lighter. I am no smoker, but for some reason flickering my lighter on and off is almost therapeutic to me.

Rosalinda spoke first," I guess that makes sense. Let's just do that."

I walked over to Rosalinda and plucked a feather that was sticking out of her costume, a Brazilian samba dress with a 1- foot tall head piece. "There, all better. Let me get Mama."

"No need, I'm here."

Mama stood behind us with her own attire, a simple pantsuit. I rolled my eyes. I wish we could have all dressed comfortably as well but Mama being the owner of our company had to be in business attire. Mama placed her hands on her hips and said, "Okay roll call now. Marina, Marco, Rosalinda, Adilene, Adam, Bryce, Ray, Joyce, Alma, Diego?" She looked around. "Excellent."

She turned towards me and smiled, "You're always here, I never have the need to call you up." I gave her a half smile and went back to my lighter.

She faced the crew and continued, "This is the schedule for the week at Castanet. Today we will start off with our meet-and-greet as well as a display of all our talents. The next few days will be a bit tuned down and will take place at a little bar called the Brass Bar. We will have a Girls' Night, followed by Gents' Night the next day, and finish the following day with Medley Night, where we will give customers the chance to dance with us. Understood?"

Everyone said yes in unison. Marina elbowed my side a bit and winked at me, "Hopefully if we do Gents' Night well, we will have quite a lot of men willing to dance with us the next night." I turned slightly red and turned my face away, "I'm okay with not doing that, besides they'll dance with you mostly since you're the most oldest and beautiful." I quietly muttered under my breath, "…and most endowed…" Marina chuckled and placed an arm around my shoulder, "Ay hermanita, you are quite a flower. You can make men fall on their knees with a glance from you." She put a finger on her chin and looked up, seemingly deep in thought. "Especially when you dance…"

We felt the ship come to a slow stop. I have been too busy talking to Marina to notice that we have already made it to the port of the island. I raised my eyebrows, noticing a tall lighthouse. I let my eyes wander all over the island, taking every detail in. I saw what seemed to be shops, colorful homes that looked so welcoming, and…stairs? Lots of them. I even saw a few animals roaming around.

I smiled, it was quite a lovely sight.

We all walked out of the ship and after giving our thanks to Pascal, we were greeted by a rather stout and short man with graying hair. His blue suit gave him away as a man of importance. Mama walked towards him with a smile on her face and extended an olive toned hand towards him, "Hamilton! What a beautiful town you have here, I am quite pleased! Thank you for inviting us out here, you are such a lovely man." That was Mama, known for having a way to talk to people.

The mayor looked quite exuberated with joy, "Victoria! How lovely to see you again, welcome to Castanet! This area right here is called Harmonica Town." He leaned to the side to see a full view of us all. His smile grew even bigger, "AMAZING! You all look dressed to a T! This is exactly what this town needs, a fresh new perspective to what the outside world is made of."

Marco piped up, "Oh not everyone does this kinda thing uh Mr. Mayor, dude. In fact we take pride in being one of the few in the world to be this versatile in nearly every style of dance!" He almost puffed out his chest in pride. Mama shot him a stern look, "What he is TRYING to say, Hamilton, is that we are of an esteemed company most honored to be sharing our talents with your kind town." Marco rubbed his neck in embarrassment, "Yeah, what she said…"

Mayor Hamilton put his hands on his belly and gave quite a hearty laugh, "No no no, we are quite honored. Please, let me show you to your rooms at the Ocarina Inn. After you get settled, please head to the Church Grounds located to the west of Harmonica Town to begin your performance. But before I go, which one of you is the protégé of my lovely friend here?" He motioned towards my mother, who gave him a playful smile.

I stepped forward, "That would be me, sir." I mentally gave myself a side note to not appear too serious and soften my face. I gave him a small smile.

I walked towards him and extended my hand to him, which he shook vigorously. "Oh my," he said rather dramatically, "you are truly as beautiful as your mother! Your mother was quite a legend back in the day, weren't you Victoria?" Both he and my mother laughed, while I smiled at him. Genuinely this time.

He regained his composure and grabbed my hand with both of his wrinkly ones. I noticed how light they felt, almost like paper. "I am pleased to meet you, young one. Now if I may ask, what is your name?"

I cleared my throat, "My name? Uh, my name is Rose."


	2. Anxiety

**Here's a new chapter out! Shout out to my first reviewer, I'm glad you like it:) you'll see who the bachelors going for Rose are soon! This chapter is for you, darling!**

"Rose, can you help me apply bronzer? I just can't…"

I took the brush from Marina's hand, dabbed it into the small pan of brown powder, and blew the excess off before lightly applying it to her cheekbones. Only on performance days like these are we expected to apply obscene amounts of makeup.

"There you go, Marina." I turned around to face the other girls in our room. "Last call, we are heading out that door in 15 minutes so if you need help with makeup, hair or costumes say so now!"

The mayor was kind enough to book two rooms for us at the local inn, although I don't think he expected twelve of us to arrive. Mama insisted that it was more than enough, despite our protests that it would be too cramped. We girls got our own room while the boys got their own; I had to admit though, the rooms were incredibly cozy and homey. The innkeepers and their cook were just as welcoming, even though I could tell they were taken back at the sight of our flamboyant costumes.

We were always a loud bunch, so I appreciated the kindness from Jake and Colleen. Apparently Mama knew the cook, Yolanda, from culinary school. You can only imagine the heartwarming reunion between the two; it was enough to even make the ever sarcastic Marina smile in admiration.

As soon as Colleen welcomed us, she rushed us girls into our own room while Jake stayed back to ask the guys about the city. As soon as we settled into our own room, we got to work. Colleen was kind enough to stay back and give us a hand with adjusting our costumes, curling our hair, and giving us some background information on the town.

"Colleen, you really didn't have to do this for us. Really, you have done so much for us already…." I started to protest until she placed a finger on my lips and said, "Now now, it's my pleasure really. We don't get so many guests at once, especially performers so it's exciting!" She laughed a bit. _She has such a sweet laugh…._ My thoughts were interrupted when Colleen spoke again, "Besides, who doesn't like a little girl time?"

She gave me a wink before facing the rest of the girls, who were bustling around trying to finish up. "Just a heads up girls, we don't have the same amount of residents as you would have in the city but don't be intimidated. We may be a small community, but I think you'll find Castanet to be a very welcoming town," she said as she finished with a reassuring smile.

Joyce piped up, "That's a relief! Large crowds make me so nervous, I stumble over my own feet when I'm en pointe…" She looked down and fiddled with her ballet slipper, which she was previously trying to roughen the soles of for better friction. Marina walked over and squeezed her cheek, "But I must say mademoiselle, that your outfit looks 'on point'." Joyce blinked a bit, then her frown slowly turned into a smile as soon as she understood the pun. Everyone else in the room laughed including myself, and Joyce looked much happier. She picked up her ballet slipper and pounded it on the floor before scratching the bottoms with her scissors.

I walked over to the nearest vanity and slumped down on the chair, propping my elbows on the table and placing my hands the sides of my cheeks. I looked at my reflection: bronze hair styled to look wavy, lips painted red, thick black eyeliner, violet eyes, and blushed cheeks. I frowned and rubbed my cheek. This tends to happen when I'm flustered, I can't show the crowd how nervous I really am. Sighing, I slumped back on the chair and ran my hand through my hair.

_Who would notice that I was nervous? Maybe they'll think my cheeks are red because of makeup or something. I could even use this to my advantage when the men try to approach me, maybe it will draw more costumers in. Well maybe…_

I picked up a powder brush from my makeup box and contemplated applying powder on my face to hide the redness. Truth be told, I was actually quite shy on the inside. I was intimidated by strangers, particularly men. You would think that being in this business I would get used to it, but honestly it kind of worsened it for me. Men in the city could be quite vulgar, really. I didn't think of myself as a great beauty, but I think men felt drawn to exotic girls.

I looked at myself in the mirror again. Years of performing in the sun have left my skin tanned and my hair looking like copper. The only thing that hasn't changed are my eyes. Violet, just like my mother's. I started to fiddle with my fingers as I kept thinking. Our eyes were the only things we had in common, my other siblings had my father's eyes. Mama was known for her eyes, a real commodity in several of the countries she's been to. It has been said that you could feel her violet eyes pierce into your own each time she danced, making you feel like it was only the two of you in the room.

I shook my head at the thought; I don't think I could ever make someone feel like that. Marina probably does, without a doubt she had her fair share of suitors. I wouldn't know if I ever had any, I let my mother know that I wasn't interested in speaking to any costumer that expressed interest in me, a request that she faithfully complied to. And why wouldn't she? She knew that it was my responsibility to learn from her so I could take over the company someday. Men would only be a distraction.

Men. I felt my heart sink a little, what if country men are worse than city men? It's not like they're used to dancers like us wearing these kinds of clothes. Sometimes, certain performances called for even more revealing clothes. Or called for more sensual dances.

I stopped my train of thoughts, now I was just overdoing it. I placed the brush back on its box and I picked up gold hoop earrings from the vanity to put on my ears.

"ROSE!" I whirled around in surprise only to meet Marina's green eyes, only inches away from mine. I gasped, "Geez! What's wrong? Did a bead pop from your bust again?"

I wasn't even teasing, three beads already popped off.

Marina shook her head adamantly, "No! The question is, shouldn't your beads be popping off too?"

I blinked. "Wait what? My dress doesn't have beads…"

"I meant why aren't you showing enough cleavage? I know those girls are there somewhere!"

Before I could even protest, Marina griped the sides of my dress and pulled down. I tried to shove her hands away from my bust even though I was at a severe disadvantage.

Marina was 5"8, whereas I was 5"2.

"Marina! What the hell is wrong with you?! I don't like showing off like this!"

"Oh please grow up a bit! Here! If you fold this part, it pushes up your boobs more!"

"I don't want to!"

"Let the world know you finally hit puberty!"

"Get off me!"

"There! Now you have jiggly, juicy boobies!"

"Let me go NOW!"

"BUT EVERYONE LOVES JIGGLY JUICY BOOBIES!"

Marina had her arms wrapped around me, one arm holding my arms down and the other one attempting to push my breasts up. In the meantime, I was trying to push them back down while pushing my back against her, wishing I had the strength to flip her over my back. During the scuffle and the laughter coming from the rest of my cousins, we didn't notice a knock on the door before it opened.

"Hello ladies, my name is Gill and I am here to-"

Marina and I looked up towards the sound of the only masculine voice in this room and stopped what we were doing almost immediately. Standing there with his eyes wide open (and jaw slightly opened) was a young man with light blonde hair. Like the mayor, he did not look dressed as country boy but instead opted for an almost preppy outfit. Dark blue vest, plaid pants, white dress shirt, and red cowlick. He had papers in his arm, which he let drop to the floor at the sight of us: Marina with her flushed faced and untidy hair, holding me from behind. And then there was me, bent over with Marina gripping me from my back and my breasts pushed up my dress well past my comfort zone.

We just stared at each other like that in that position for what seemed to be forever although it was only for three seconds before someone in the room cleared their throat. I have never been so thankful for that distraction, for at that moment the young blonde man turned towards the direction of the sound. I took that chance to slip from Marina's grasp, who did not resist this time. I slipped past my cousins and hid behind Alma.

Adilene cleared her throat again, "Hello sir, you are here for…?" Almost instantaneously, the young man snapped out of his shock (or trance, maybe?) and bowed his head. "I uh, I sincerely apologize. I should have waited outside, I didn't know you ladies were uh…." He scratched his neck. "Uh… not decent."

Both Rosalinda and Adilene walked over to the door and proceeded to pick up the papers. I peeked behind Alma to see what was going on.

"No need to apologize Gill," said Rosalinda as she sweetly batted her eyelashes at the flushed man. "We were just playing around, you just happened to catch us in an awkward situation. You know how sisters can be." She looked behind her shoulder and giggled at Marina, who only grinned back.

Adilene handed the papers back to Gill, "What can we help you with?"

Gill kept his eyes on the ground although he regained his composure. "Uh yes, well you see uh, I can always come back another time…."

Now it was Marina's turn to torment the poor kid. "What's the matter, honey? Never been in a room full of half dressed girls?" She let out a loud laugh, only succeeding in reddening Gill's face. I kind of smiled at the sight; I found it be really adorable.

Joyce snapped back, "That's not true! I'm a ballerina, I'm covered up more than you!

"Barely!"

"More than you! I don't belly dance, I don't have to dress sexy!"

"It comes with the territory, baby."

"Alma does hip hop, she wears sweats most of the time!"

Adilene quickly shushed Marina and Joyce up before turning to Gill, who looked downright embarrassed. "Don't listen to her sir, she's just very loud and likes to provoke." She shot Marina a dirty look, who only responded with a wink.

She turned back to Gill, "Now what is it that you need? Don't be shy, these are only costumes. You kinda have to get used to seeing us wearing these clothes when we perform. But that's show business, isn't it?"

The blond young man finally looked up with slight determination, only for that determination to fade away when seeing us. I couldn't blame him.

A kid like him didn't seem to be used to seeing girls wearing glittering brassieres, glittery dresses…or large bosoms like Marina's.

He cleared his throat and adjusted his cowlick, "Yes I am looking for a Ms. Rose. Is she here?"

Almost immediately I thought, _shit! That's what he's looking for?_ Before I could hide further behind the room, I felt Alma's hand reach down to grab my arm and pulled me up. "She's here!"

I felt myself get shoved to the front of the room past my giggling cousins and in two blinks, I was already face to face to the young man named Gill.

_Wow…he has really pretty eyes_.

I nodded and extended my hand, "Hello. I'm Rose. What can I do for you?"

He looked at my hand for a bit before deciding to grab it and shake it. He gave it a firm grip then pulled his hand away briskly. I decided to overlook that…

"My name is Gilligan, but please call me Gill. I am the Mayor's son, so it's my duty to overlook the affairs of the residents as well as visitors." He handed me the papers, "These uh, are for you. They're waivers. You know, business."

I took them from his hand, "Thank you. You'll have them before noon."

He nodded then finally made eye contact with me. I sensed him become a bit frigid, or was it me? Gill blinked then said, "Right. Now if you could come outside now, I'll have Maya escort you to the Church Grounds were the stage is set up. I'll have you know that your audience is already making their way there so do not be late." He bowed, "That is all. Thank you."

Gill then turned on his heels and quickly walked away, closing the door behind him. That was so awkward, if I am going to be working with this guy then I need to clear the air between us.

I groaned, I knew I was going to get teased for this.

I opened the door and rushed outside, barely catching him at the door of the inn.

"Wait! Gill?"

He turned around and looked surprised to me see me walking towards him. I sighed, "Listen, about what you saw there…I am really, really sorry. We weren't expecting company, much less from a guy so we weren't careful. Marina, the girl behind me, is my older sister so she messes with me a lot."

I brought a hand to my head, "I really am sorry. I hope you don't have a bad opinion of us. But if you do, rest assured that we will at least do our job well."

I stopped myself before I kept blabbing any longer. I brought myself to look at Gill's face. Not keeping eye contact is extremely rude in my opinion, being shy can't help me now.

He looked startled, his mouth was slightly open. Just when I thought that he was never going to get over his shock, I saw his features soften up a bit and he let out a short laugh.

"It's nothing, miss. I understand. And no I don't have a bad opinion of you all, it was just bad timing. Besides, they look nice."

His eyes flew wide open and he waved his hands wildly over his face, "No I meant your group, not your uh, y-y-your chest! I m-mean those are very nice too but- no that's not what I-I'm saying…!"

I stared at him perplexed as he stammered over his sentences. I have heard about this Gill person from Mama. He has a reputation for being quite serious as well as intelligent. Yet the person I see is a completely different person. Or maybe I was just right, men from the country are simply not used to a bunch of girls like us.

I smiled gently and laughed, "No worries, Gill. And please, just call me Rose."

Gill finally stopped stammering, and to my delight, laughed as well, "Haha thank you, Miss- I mean, Rose." He looked at his watch, "I should get going, I have to be at the Church Grounds to introduce you. Make your way there now, please."

He turned towards the door and opened it. "Oh," he glanced at me. "And welcome to Castanet. I hope you enjoy your stay."

Gill then walked outside, closing the door behind him.

I grinned, "Thanks. I think I will."

I marched back to our room, only to meet with a bunch of taunts and "ooohs" from the girls.

"Isn't he dreamy?"

"A total nerd, but the hottest one yet!"

"What did he say, Rose?"

"Did he ask about me?"

"Ain't no one want anything to do with you, Marina!"

"Shut your piehole!"

I raised my voice, "Enough! Make your way out the door we are leaving NOW!" I ushered the girls out into the lobby, where we met up with the rest of the guys and Mama who was standing next to a young girl with orange hair and braids.

This must be Maya.

Mama spoke, "Big day today, babies. Give it your all. I've known some of these people here for a very long time so I want to give them the performance of a lifetime, let's give them their money's worth!"

Everyone clapped and yelled out in excitement. Well everyone except Diego, who approached Maya and in one smooth movement, grabbed her hand and kissed her hand.

Maya jumped back, "W-who are you?"

Diego winked, "My name is Diego but they call me the Don of Romance."

Mama smacked his head. "Don of dumbasses, maybe. Control your hormones, kid. This young girl happens to be the granddaughter of my best friend, so I will take care of her as if she were mine." She pointed a finger at Diego's face, "So watch it, playboy."

Diego took a step back and held his hands up in defense, "Geez Auntie, can't a man approach a beautiful girl in peace anymore!?"

"Oh shut up, Diego. You're scaring her!" Adilene walked over and linked arms with Maya, who still looked confused. She lead her towards the rest of the girls, "Don't worry about him doll, he makes up for his stupidity with his breakdancing at least."

I walked over and placed my hand on Maya's shoulder, "Haha relax, he acts dumb around pretty girls."

Maya looked at me with perked up eyes, "I'm that pretty?"

I smiled, "Of course you are. Now, do you know where the grounds are? I'm Rose by the way, that nimrod's cousin." I pointed at Diego, who was still getting a mouthful from Mama.

The young girl looked rejuvenated, "Nice to meet ya! I'm Maya! And yes, I'm supposed to take you there, hehehe. My parents are already there, so that means everyone else should already be there. Follow me!"

I chuckled, she's so lively. "Thank you kindly, Maya. Let's go everyone! Boys first, then girls!"

Everyone complied and walked out the door, all in engaged in excited conversation and laughter. I then took a deep breath and followed everyone out the door.

It was a beautiful sunny Spring morning. Perfect weather to dance, even the air was clean enough to sing in as well. I straightened out my dress and realized my breasts were still a bit pushed up. Too late to fix that now, I'll just have to manage.

I fell back behind the others so I could take a good look around the town. It was just as beautiful as I originally thought. We passed by a blue clinic called Choral Clinic, passed by a school, and a couple of homes.

_Wow, is this island named in tribute of instruments or something?_ I didn't mind, I liked it. It made me feel like we were meant to be here.

I felt my thoughts interrupted by a loud yell towards the front of the group, "Okay guys, up this hill lies the Church Grounds! Are you ready?" That was Maya's voice I recognized. I heard my family scream, "YES!"

I didn't mutter a sound, instead I just smiled to myself.

"I hope so…I really hope so." I muttered under my breath.

I took another deep breath and mustered any remnants of courage I had left as we started walking towards the top of the hill.

And then there was applause.


	3. Lose Yourself

**Author's Note: I just want to say thank you to the two kind reviewers I've had so far3 Thank you for your encouragement and for liking my story so much, if you had accounts I would love to reply back to you and give you a proper thank you. Well the best I could do now is give you another chapter as thanks! Bare with me, it's much longer but the next chapter will be worth it *wink**

**Thank you again, guys! I hope you like this chapter!:)**

I brought a hand to my face to shade my eyes. The sun had gotten brighter and brighter I realized. When we got off the boat it was only 6 am and it was still quite dark. I forgot how quickly the time passed.

I usually would have let my mind wander again; probably thinking about the days we spent on Pascal's ship. How long it felt. The many times Diego threw up…

But I couldn't think. All I could hear was the thundering applause that gradually grew louder as we started to reach the top of the stairs that lead to the Church Grounds. With the sun in my eyes, I started to feel overwhelmed and confused. I couldn't see the group, I didn't know where Maya was, all I heard was…noise.

"Rose! What are you doing? Straighten up a bit, some of the guys are already greeting the crowd!" I squinted towards the sound of the voice, but I smiled and calmed down a bit. I extended my arm, knowing he would grab me.

And he did. My younger brother, Adam.

I felt a tug and I stumbled forward a bit, before colliding into what felt like a rock wall. Yep, this was definitely Adam.

"Thanks Adam, I just got a little confused there. I couldn't see where I was going." I tried to yell over the noise. I rubbed my eyes and looked up. Adam just stared down at me with a grin on his face. I found that the sun was no longer in my face, but that was expected. Standing at 6"0, Adam could block anything.

He quickly grabbed my hand and yelled back, "We don't have much time yet, after Rosalinda and Marco walk off, you and I are gonna follow! Just look at the crowd and smile! Ready? GO!"

"Adam, wait! What did you sa-" I stopped as Adam walked briskly up the stairs with me stumbling like a fool behind him.

Everything that happened next felt like a blur. As soon as we reached the last step, I saw the source of the applause.

_People. Lots of people._

All standing up from their chairs looking at Adam and I, clapping with smiles on their faces. Between them was an aisle, which I presumed we were supposed to walk through.

Waiting for us at the other end was large stage only a few feet tall, prepped with a large red curtain and tall stage lights. Behind it was a beautiful cathedral with large cherry blossom trees growing by the entrance. I saw the rest of my family already posing in front of the stage, waiting for my brother and I.

I soon heard Adam's loud laughter by my side, startling me. At that instant I realized this whole time I've been staring at the crowd and the beautiful setup in front of me with such a dopey starstruck expression on my face. I quickly closed my jaw and smiled instead as I walked towards the aisle with Adam still holding my hand, long strides with a leg in front of the other.

As expected, we waved at the crowd as we made our way towards the stage. I felt my heart speed up a bit, crowds have always made me nervous. But after being in front of audiences nearly all my life, it becomes second nature to just put the thoughts aside and just fake it till you make it. I continued to smile and wave at the cheering townsfolk, hoping they couldn't tell how anxious I was. I could see a variety of faces: old men and women, middle aged men and women, green hair, white hair, and I swear I saw someone with a blue mustache.

I saw a little hand extend out from the crowd of people towards my side of the aisle. Was it a little child? Adam was walking too fast and I had to keep up so all I could do was reach out and give their hand a quick grip. I couldn't help but smile when I felt the little hand grip my thumb before I had to pull away.

As we have done so many times after we reached the stage, Adam and I turned and bowed towards the audience. Ignoring the thundering applause and cheers, I reminded myself to calm down and joined the rest of our dancers who were already lined up. We have done this same routine for nearly our whole lives and it seems like the only person that still isn't used to it was me. Everyone was smiling at the crowd, their poses effortlessly poised.

All of us have to pose when are presented and waiting for cues so I did the pose Mama told me – or nagged- me to do. I had to put my hands on hips and put a leg in front of the other. Which I wouldn't have minded…if there wasn't a slit on my dress that allowed the audience to see most of my right leg. I heard a few whistles from the crowd, reddening my face.

The curtain behind us was raised up and out came Mama with Mayor Hamilton by her side. She looked beautiful. She was wearing a gray pencil skirt with a white dress shirt, her copper hair neatly tied in a bun. Leave it to Mama to refuse to let any strand of hair escape from her bun; she always tried to present herself in the most perfect way possible. Hamilton walked in front of us and motioned for the crowd to calm down before saying, "Welcome one and all! Let's give a heartwarming welcome to Miranda Dance Company!" As the crowd applauded, Hamilton continued, "Miranda Dance Company has traveled all around the world, sharing their culture and talents! We are most honored to have a chance to have booked them, a big thank you to Mrs. Victoria Miranda from Forget- Me- Not Valley for most graciously offering to place us as a priority booking."

The audience cheered as Mama walked next to Hamilton and gracefully bowed as she coyly batted her eyelashes. I couldn't help but roll my eyes. Mama could be dramatic sometimes. But that came with the job, l suppose.

Next it was her turn to speak to the crowd, "I am very pleased to join you here today, some of you have been colleagues and friends of mine for years so trust me when I say I am so happy to be here. My babies have practiced very hard for this moment, so I hope we give you the performance of a lifetime. Now, this would not have been possible without the hard work and sacrifice from my daughter, Rose-"

_My head quickly shot up. No she did not just call me out like that…._

Mama turned towards me with a warm smile on her face, "There she is! My little protégé, thank you for the hours you spent calculating expenses, coming up with choreography, finding our transportation, and for helping us with our contract. You are a true rose. A thorn here or there, but we can't help love you either way." She let out a lighthearted laugh; a few from the crowd joined her as well. I tried to laugh but only managed a, "Ha….ha…heh…"

Mama knows how much I hate attention. But she forgets how much I suck at accepting compliments. If that even was a compliment…

Hamilton chuckled, "Let's give it up for Miss Rose everyone! Now without further ado, let the performances begin! Dancers, send out your first performer!"

XXXXXXXXXX

"Mind if I borrow some of that?"

I looked over my shoulder and saw Diego walking towards me.

"You sure? It's 'Malibu Tangerine Sunset', you know…"

Diego shook his head, "I don't care. I just came out from breakdancing to a Busta Rhymes song. You have. …No. Idea. How. Tired. I. Am." He looked serious so I stopped laughing, "You can't imagine the sweat I left on the stage floor."

I grimaced and tossed him my body spray bottle. I couldn't blame the poor guy, everyone was sweating and reapplying makeup after performing their choreographies. It didn't help that the sun was already out and the day got hotter. Luckily for us, we had permission to use the church as a backstage room of sorts to prep up and change into different costumes. These people really were good to us.

I heard bells ring as Marina entered through the doors of the church looking as if she just won an Olympic medal. The tiny golden bells tied around her waist twinkled with each step she took and I noticed sweat glistening from her exposed stomach, something Marina loved to show because she thought it was attractive to men.

I never understood that logic. How can you like something that stinks?

Adilene smirked, "What are you so smug about?" Marina winked at her, "I don't consider it much of an accomplishment considering how little competition I have…" she glanced at Adilene, who squinted her eyes in anger. "But I can say I made quite the impression." She snapped her fingers, "I got an encore, baby."

"I'd give you an encore too if I was a man who has never seen a woman willing to show so much cleavage before."

"Don't hate on me Adilene, you'd show some too IF you had any."

"You raggedy looking-"

I yelled, "Shut up! You guys are making me more nervous! Last thing I need is Mama telling me that I'm not watching you guys enough!"

I marched past them and slammed the door behind me. I walked towards the red curtain and stood behind it, waiting for my cue from Hamilton to proceed. Right now I could hear Rosalinda's song of choice blasting through the speakers, she must be finishing up since I could hear the last part of "Crazy in Love" playing.

_These females and their Beyoncé…_

"Rosie? Wait." I turned and saw Marina rush out the door and walk towards me. She looked flushed and a little apologetic, "Listen, sorry about stressing you out like that. We shouldn't have gotten so hot back there. Sometimes I forget how you don't like working under pressure." She reached out and tucked a lock of my copper hair behind my ear. "But pressure makes diamonds, you know? You can do this, just keep your eyes on Adam and dance your heart out. "

I looked down, "Okay, I'll keep my eyes on Adam…"

She smiled, "If you do that while doing your own thing, everyone else won't help but keep their eyes on you!"

I returned the smile, "Thanks Nina. I appreciate that." I looked at the ground, "So…have you found any guy you're interested in?"

Marina blinked, "Ha…wait what?"

I looked at her innocently, "Well it's cuz…you always look at the crowd hoping to find a guy you would like so…yeah. Did you?"

Marina fiddled with her large necklace and looked at me slyly, "If you want to know, you should look at the crowd. Maybe you'll see why I can't make up my mind."

I opened my mouth in surprise but before I could ask anything else I heard my name being called from the stage. Rosalinda burst through the curtains and ran past me, "Your turn! Hurry up! Adam is waiting for you!" She called from behind her shoulder before disappearing into the church. I faced Marina with an alarmed look on my face.

She laughed before smacking my butt, "Show them why you're Mama's protégé."

XXXXXXXXXX

_"Poker face, poker face, poker face…."_ I kept mentally reminding myself as I opened the curtains and walked past them.

More applause. I smiled instinctively and as gracefully as I could, walked to where Adam was standing and grabbed his hand. "You look great Rosie, just follow my lead okay? Do that…thing you do," he whispered as the crowd calmed down.

"Do what?" I whispered back, completely clueless.

Adam slowly placed hand on my back and said, "Lose yourself in the music." He then turned towards Hamilton and said, "Start, please."

I counted to three after our song started. Adam insisted we dance to "Smooth" by Carlos Santana because he wasn't sure if anyone in Castanet spoke Spanish and would understand my original choice of a Marc Anthony song. It was the only English- speaking salsa song we knew so that was all we had. As much as I preferred an authentic salsa song, I couldn't argue with his logic.

_Man, it's a hot one_

_Like seven inches from the midday sun_

_Well, I hear you whisper and the words melt everyone_

_ But you stay so cool_

As we had choreographed, I broke away from Adam's hold and daintily sashayed away as I looked back with the most flirtatious look I could muster. Staying true to the nature of the song, our choreography was that of a man trying to woo a flirty woman who tries to not yield to his advances. I placed my hands on the sides of my hips and ran my hands up my body as I slowly swayed my hips to the beat of the music.

_And if you said, "This life ain't good enough."_

_I would give my world to lift you up_

_I could change my life to better suit your mood_

_ Because you're so smooth_

Adam quickly strode over to me, grabbed my hand and spun me around to him. I put my hands on his chest, pushed him off lightly and we walked around each other while maintaining fierce eye contact. Portraying sexual tension was no easy task; I tried as hard as I could to show the audience the story we were telling. I heard the chorus coming up…

I quickly whispered, "Now." Adam caught my cue so he grabbed my hand, put a hand on my back and dipped me as low as he could. Cheers elevated as soon as I came up and we broke out into full salsa dancing mode.

_And it's just like the ocean under the moon_

_Well, that's the same as the emotion that I get from you_

_ You got the kind of loving that can be so smooth, yeah_

We spun around and swayed our hips, trying to stay in sync. I tossed my head to the sides before spinning myself into Adam's arms, who then lifted me up from the ground and spun us around. As he set me down, I put an arm around his neck, slowly brought my revealed leg up to his waist and then he quickly dipped me low again. Cheers and applause became overwhelmingly erratic so I could barely hear Adam say, "Finishing pose!" He leaned in towards my face, I waited for the cue…

_Gimme your heart, make it real_

_ Or else forget about it_

As soon as I heard "or else forget about it", I playfully pretended to slap Adam's face away from me. I broke free from his grasp and sensually swayed my way towards the front of the stage and posed, with my hip out and both my arms above my head.

And that was it. It's over…I did it.

I couldn't help but burst out in laughter after seeing how excited and boisterous the audience got. I heard chairs get knocked over as people stood up, clapping wildly. Adam walked over next to me and grabbed my hand to indicate it's time to bow.

After we did, he looked at me with one of the happiest smiles I have ever seen from him, "Wow, a standing ovation. Haven't gotten one of those in a while haha."

I shouted back, "Only because the majority of the people here are women! Look at you, you're driving them crazy!" I pinched his cheek, only getting him to wave his hand at me in embarrassment.

Hamilton jogged over to us from the DJ stand. "Give it up for Rose and Adam! Well folks, you have seen it all! Hip hop, ballet, belly dancing, popping, salsa, I think it's time for our intermission now! If you would just wait five minutes for our performers to freshen up a bit, please stop by the booth over there-" He pointed a large table on the right side of the Church Grounds, "You can take pictures with the dancers, autographs, even ask questions. Simon will be around to take the pictures so make sure you wait for your turn. Enjoy the break!"

XXXXXXXXXX

"How was it?" Marina asked as soon as I entered the church. I saw that she had changed into a red strapless mini dress and white heels. Although her bust was kind of bursting from the dress, it was more sensible than most of the clothes she wore. That much I was thankful for.

"Haha spectacular…." I meant it, I really did. She offered me a white tissue and I used it to rub off the red lipstick from my lips.

"Notice any guys?"

"Uh not really…I took off my contacts so I wouldn't see the crowd. I do that all the time, remember?" I took a hairband and tied my hair up so I could wipe the sweat off my neck with the rest of the tissue.

"Oh yeah…"Marina slumped into a chair in disappointment. "I forget you do that. Well, anything to help your nerves I guess. I heard how crazy the crowd got." She grinned and pointed at my hair, "Talk about a fiery redhead."

I laughed as I made my way into one of the rooms at the back of the church. Hamilton said we could use the rooms to change in so I went to the one assigned for the girls and started to change there. I looked for the box that said "Rose" and once I found it, tried to search for the simplest clothes I could find. The closest thing to 'normal' was black leather pants, knee high black boots, and a black crop top.

I sighed in desperation, didn't it ever occur to Mama that we probably needed normal everyday clothes for our meet and greet? Knowing I only had five minutes, I quickly put on my new clothes and stared at myself in the mirror.

_I look like a Pussycat Doll_, I thought to myself miserably.

XXXXXXXXXX

We all made our way into the booth, sitting in our assigned seats. Like always, I tried to be last in line so I could sit on the edge of the booth. You know, in case of emergencies that require me to run away. But Marina insisted I sit with her, so she dragged me towards the middle of the booth, much to my dismay.

The sun was definitely on full blast now, and I felt my head heat up. I asked Diego for a bandana and he let me borrow his, on the condition I refer girls that come up to me to him. I rolled my eyes but agreed anyway, and he tossed me a navy bandana. I quickly put it over my head and tied it up.

I was too preoccupied with my anxiety to listen to the announcement from Hamilton declaring the beginning of our meet and greet. I only leaned back on my chair messing with my lighter until I heard a masculine voice that snapped me from my trance.

"Hello? Are you Rose?"

I looked up and I stifled a gasp. A handsome man maybe in his thirties was looking at me with a slight smile on his face. He had a brown cowboy hat on, dark khaki pants, and a button down tan shirt that had rolled up sleeves. A few buttons were unbuttoned from his neckline so I noticed a bit of chest hair showing; it must've been because of the heat. I must have looked TOO caught off guard because he looked amused. I couldn't help it, the guy really looked like Indiana Jones.

"Uh, yes I am. What's your name?" I looked around for a pen. It was a force of habit really; we've done so many meet and greets that it's become a routine to say things like:

"_What's your name?"_

"_What do you want me to sign?"_

"_Enjoy the performance?"_

"_Thank you!"_

"_Yes, my sister is single…"_

He chuckled a bit then tipped his hat, "My name is Calvin. Pleasure to meet you, ma'am."

I took a moment to look around. Already some people from the audience were lined up, some already talking or taking pictures with my cousins and siblings. I turned my head back to Calvin, who smiled again.

"Nice to meet you too, Calvin. Did you uh, enjoy the show?" I tried my best to maintain a straight face.

"Very much. I've been around the world myself, I'm a traveler you see." He gave me a sly smile.

_Ha, you don't say…._

He continued, "Trust me, I have not seen anything like this before. I'm glad you came. I just never expected to see such a lovely lady like yourself to be a traveler."

I laughed nervously, "Oh no I'm not, uh my sister," I pointed at Marina, who was deeply engaged in a conversation with a blue haired boy, "…she's the pretty one. I'm just the one that does…well, paperwork."

What was Marina talking about anyway? I couldn't hear their conversation fully but I think the guy has said extreme about five times now…

He just better not be talking about her breasts.

Calvin raised an eyebrow and grinned, "Well it seems to me that you do way more than paperwork from what I saw up there today. You were a delight, and dare I say, the best dancer I've seen."

I stood up and bowed, "Thank you, that's very kind of you Mister." I sat back on my seat.

Calvin laughed, "Mister? You think I'm that old?" He scratched his neck."

I almost jumped from my seat, "No! It's not that, it's just out of respect you know? You look much better than most guys my age, you could've fooled me!"

_What the hell are you saying Rose? Stop blabbering_.

I sighed in exasperation, "I am so sorry. I do that when I'm flustered, bad habit of mine." Calvin threw his head back and laughed loudly, "No that's quite alright, I'm flattered. More so than offended."

_Flattered? Wait does he think I'm flirting?_

I cleared my throat, "So…would you like a picture or anything? I mean, that's what you're here for right?"

_Duh, Rose…_

Calvin stopped laughing and leaned towards me as he put his hands on the table. My eyes opened wide.

"No, but I would like to see more of you. A picture can't beat the real thing."

_Holy mother of God, mother of Jesus, mother of dragons…._

Before I could think of anything to say, I heard a tiny squeal come from behind Calvin. Calvin looked behind him and leaned over my seat to see where that squeal came from.

A little girl with red hair was impatiently tugging Calvin's shirt. Her big, grey eyes were wide open in excitement as she breathlessly said, "Hurry up Calvin! I wanna talk to her, you're taking too long! "

Calvin abruptly straightened up and laughed in embarrassment, "Haha sorry little lady, I was just talking to Miss Rose here. I'll be leaving now."

He turned his head at me again, "I do hope to see you again, Rose." I smiled and nodded, and with a final cocky smile he left.

_What just happened…?_

I quickly shifted my attention to the little girl and leaned over the table to offer her my hand, "Hi sweetie, what's your name?" She squealed in delight and clasped my hand with her own tiny ones, "My name is Chloe! And this is the second time you grab my hand!"

My mouth fell open. She must've been the tiny hand that reached out to when I was walking down the aisle. I grinned, "You are? Then I'm most happy to finally meet you! Aren't you the most precious thing?"

I lightly pinched her cheek, which was already quite red. Whether it was that way naturally or not, I couldn't tell. But it was really cute.

Chloe giggled and handed a piece of paper to me. "Will you sign it? I've never met a dancer before! Well I have, Selena over there dances. But not like you! And you're so nice! Selena doesn't like if you talk to her, unless you're a boy!" She made a face.

I put a hand over my mouth and laughed, I couldn't hide the fact how much I liked this young girl already. How old was she? Nine? Maybe ten?

"Tell you what, I will get up from here and take a picture with you. Most of the time we just take pictures with us behind the booth but I would like to actually come around and give you a hug, what do you say?" I smiled at Chloe, whose eyes got bigger. Wow, I didn't think it was possible for them to get bigger.

"YOU WILL? THANK YOU! We don't have to wait for Simon to take the picture, my Gramps has a camera! GRAMPS!" She turned to yell towards the crowd.

"Take your time, sweetheart. I'll make my way over there now."

I got up from my seat and walked past the other seated dancers. I overheard Diego say to a pretty blue haired girl, "Damn girl, if you country people had cell phones I would ask for your numbah!" The girl looked startled and ran away. I swiftly smacked his head and kept walking.

"ROSE! I HAD THIS ONE, MAN!" Diego shouted as he rubbed his head. I kept walking though.

As I made my way around the booth I heard my name being called, "Rose! What do you think you're doing? You're supposed to stay behind the booth at all times!"

Mama walked towards me and planted her hands on her hips. I could barely see her violet eyes as she was squinting them at me. I shrugged, "There's a little girl who wants to take a picture with me. But I want to actually be next to her to take it, not behind the booth. It feels more genuine." I sighed, "Are you mad?"

A small smile formed on Mama's lips, "No, I'm just surprised you're getting up for a child. Then again, not surprised. You love kids. Too much though."

I winced, "Does that bother you or something?"

"No, but it gives me hope."

"What are you talking about…?"

Mama walked away as she called out from behind her, "Because if you want a kid, you need a man."

I clenched my fists and turned red in embarrassment, "MAMA WHY."

"Don't you have a little girl to attend to?"

_Oh yeah, that's right..._ I turned on my heels and ran past the hoards of people chatting away with our table. I soon saw Chloe and noticed that an old but stern looking man was standing next to her with a camera in his hands.

Chloe spotted me and her expression lit up as she waved at me.

"Hi Miss Rose! I was wondering what took you so long! This is my Gramps!" She pointed at the stern man who looked me strangely.

Well, it's my fault for wearing all black.

He nodded at me, "Hello, call me Ramsey. I run the blacksmith shop at the Garmon Mine District." He looked at Chloe, "She was excited the entire time she was here, but she lost it when she saw you. I've never seen her this thrilled."

Whoa, he sounds much nicer than he looks. I smiled and bowed, "Call me Rose, please. And Chloe, please call me Rose too. Think of me as just a friend."

Chloe looked as if I just offered her her weight in ice cream. Ramsay spoke, "That's nice. You don't look very old either, how old are you exactly?"

"I'm almost 21, sir." I scratched my head, forgetting I had put on a bandana. I quickly put my hand down.

"Interesting. I have a nephew a bit older than you. He's not here though, probably still working." Ramsay looked up towards the sky and groaned, "…or drinking."

Chloe stomped her feet, "Gramps! The picture, please!"

"Ah sorry, sorry. Rose, could you-"

"Haha not a problem, give me a quick second…" I removed my bandana and let my hair down.

I got on one knee and put my arm around Chloe's waist. She quickly wrapped her tiny arms around my neck and pressed her cheek against mine. I smiled, "How does this look, Ramsay?"

Ramsay brought the camera to his face, "Good! Hold on the picture is processing…here it is! Thank you, Rose," he smiled. "You made Chloe very happy."

"The pleasure is all mine, truly." I smiled at Chloe and put my bandana back on, tucking my hair under it. Even though it got windy, it was still fiercely hot.

"Thanks, Rose! I'm so happy! Gramps let me see it, let me see it!"

Chloe jumped up and down trying to reach for the picture that came out of the camera, but in her excitement she caused Ramsay to stumble over backwards. The impact caused Ramsay to let go of the picture, which the wind quickly blew away.

Chloe gasped, "OH NO! Gramps the picture! We have to find it, please help!"

"I think I pulled my back a bit Chloe, give me a second…."

Without a second thought, I said, "Stay here, I'll get it!"

I ran past them and tried to fight my way through the crowd. Some people started to call out my name but I ignored them; I was hell bent on finding that picture. I broke free from the crowd and looked around. I saw nothing. The breeze must've stopped when I was running, surely that means the picture fell to the ground. I let out a sigh in relief.

Unless…it fell to the cliffs. Immediately I held my breath in alarm. I looked around feverishly, hoping to catch a glimpse of the missing picture.

_If I don't find it, Chloe will be so disappointed. I said I'd find it, but what if I don't? Will she cry? Oh poor Chloe, and poor Ramsay for pulling his back…maybe I should have stayed in the booth. No don't think that! It was all for Chloe. It was all good intent…._

_**Wait!**_

I saw a white fleck a good distance away from me laying on the top step of the stairs. Without any hesitation I ran to it with my eyes fixed on it. If the wind picked it up, I won't lose it this time.

As I got closer I realized it was indeed the picture. I rushed over then bent down to pick it up, only to grab a hand that reached for it at the same time.

I looked up instantly, only to see dark grey eyes staring into mine….


	4. Two Shades of Grey

I wanted to retract my hand but I was frozen in place.

Those eyes seemed just as surprised to see me as I was. But why wasn't he saying anything? Wait, was it because there was something on my face….? Oh wait, I probably look incredibly stupid just staring at a perfect stranger.

Perfect….

My eyes wandered all over his face for a brief moment. He had a completely chiseled face, a square jaw, a straight nose, defined cheekbones, full lips, and untidy red hair. Handsome features. The kind t your eyes couldn't help but notice no matter how much you tried to look away. But it was those eyes that kept me from pulling away; they were the most brilliant shade of grey. It was hard to make out the color at first, since I have never seen those kind of eyes before. I also never have been this close to a stranger before.

_If I ever needed a cure for selective mutism or chronic shyness or whatever the hell I have, I need it NOW…._

"Ahem…"

Whatever trance I was in, I snapped out of it when he cleared his throat. I looked alarmed but I was still unsure of what to do. So I just kept staring at him.

Until his lips formed a smile…

_Never mind, I'm good now._

I quietly muttered a quick "sorry." I tried to pull my hand away but to my great surprise, I felt my wrist being grabbed back. I was too scared to make eye contact again out of fear of being petrified with nerves again so I just gasped and stared at the ground, refusing to look up.

"Hey now, don't be scared. I have never seen you around before, so forgive me if I stared." He let out a small chuckle.

_He was staring back at me….?_

I didn't 't say anything, I didn't know what to say. I wanted my hand back so I could run away and hide behind a trash can or something.

But I felt another light nudge when I attempted to pull away again.

The young man looked more serious and in a gentle voice said, "Miss, it's alright. You can look at me, I won't hurt you. Is this your picture?"

His other hand handed me the picture, covered in dust. I just glanced at it and quietly nodded.

_Rose this isn't professional, grow a pair._

I took a deep breath, "I'm sorry, you just startled me. I don't know how to behave around….well, uh…" I trailed off. I still had no idea what to say. I just felt like my insides were caving in and my heart was beating faster as the sensation intensified. I felt like hiding and running away, I just wanted to be anywhere but here. I don't know when was the last time I made contact with a male like this before. Sure we've had drunk men or groupies grab us during performances or after but I always had my cousins and brother to protect me. But Adam wasn't here. Why couldn't he be here?

The young man smiled, "I see, no need to explain. But at least let me help you up." He stood up and gently pulled me up, slowly placing his other hand on my back for support.

_He's a nice one?_

Without any effort, he brought me up to my feet. That's strange, I'm not that light. I found myself looking at him once again. My eyes nearly popped out of my head.

HE WAS HUGE.

He had to be at least Adam's height, but nowhere near as slender. He was built like a bodybuilder or like the strongman I occasionally see at carnivals. But he looked much younger than any bodybuilder or strongman I've ever met. Marco and Diego were breakdancers, so naturally they were very muscular. But this guy couldn't be a breakdancer, he seemed to have muscle EVERYWHERE. What was he? A devout gym member? I could even make out an outline of his abs through his black muscle shirt. I raised an eyebrow. I wonder….

My pondering was soon interrupted by another laugh. "What's the matter? Am I uh," he scratched the back of his head, "…scary or something?"

"No, I was just wondering if you could rip your shirt if you flexed your muscles…." My eyes opened in horror and I pulled my hand away from his grip to cover my mouth. I did it again! Why, why?!

"I-I- am so s-sorry! It's a horrible habit of mine, I forget to filter my thoughts before I speak, so sorry…"

To my complete shock, the young man threw his head back and laughed, "Man, I thought I have heard it all: meathead, Buffman, thick skull, but I have never heard that one! You're funny haha, I like that."

_Okay…._

I just stood there as he laughed, wondering if I should take this opportunity to slip back to our booth. I'll just wait when he's not looking…

He wiped a tear from his eye, "That was great. I uh, never thought about it. I'd test it out now but there are people around. Maybe I should wear a bigger shirt or something. That was pretty interesting idea though, Miss-" He looked at me expectantly.

_Just say Rose, that easy. Rose. Rose like the color. Rose like the flower. Rose like the color your face is turning- oh goddamit, Rose…._

I did feel my face heat up. He looked at, waiting for a response. When I couldn't respond, he slowly said, "Are you one of the dancers or something?"

I found some of my voice coming back, "I uh, do work for Mrs. Miranda and…"

Before I could finish my sentence, his face lit up, "Oh you must be that one girl that works by her side managing the company's affairs right?" He snapped his fingers, "I could tell, all the dancers I know are much…louder." He grinned.

I found myself placing my hands on my hips and staring at him with narrow eyes. I wanted to say something along the lines of EXCUSE ME I DON'T NEED TO BE ABLE TO TALK TO BE ABLE TO MOVE MY BODY, OKAY.

But his next words completely shut me up. "I just got here actually. I haven't seen any performances or the new people here for that matter. But my buddy Luke left a little early to convince me to show up. Something about a cute redhead with steamy dance moves," he smiled nervously and put his hands in his pockets, "I thought why not? My best friend came all the way to my place to bring me along plus there's a pretty dancer. It's worth a look."

The young man suddenly seemed to realize something, "Oh but where are my manners? My name is Owen, what's yours?" He extended his hand to me.

_He thinks I'm pretty? Wait, his friend does at least. Is he disappointed now or something?_ I frowned, the only person other than me with my hair color is Mama. But she's forty years old…I made a face. Oh heck no, is he into older women or something?! Because if they meant me, he would have said something! Hold on….

I internally face palmed myself. Of course he doesn't know I'm a redhead, I still had my bandana on. My heart jumped a bit, that's perfect! He has no idea who I am! Let him think I'm just a lowly assistant and with any luck, I can keep my bandana on during my last performances. Or use a wig, or put on an obscene amount of make up.

With that in mind, I extended my hand confidently and shook his, "I'm just Mrs. Miranda's helper, and hey listen, it was nice talking to you but I really have to get going. I have to uh, help prep up. You know how performers rely on each other to get ready haha…okay, I'm going now."

I broke free out his hand, turned on my heel and made a run for it. I think I felt a slight breeze from my arm, probably from him barely missing my arm when he reached for it again.

"Wait! Don't you want your picture?"

But I didn't hear that last bit.

XXXXXXXXXXX

I jogged past more people, quickly saying hello to a few who were trying to greet me. Where the hell is Marina? _If there's a god or goddess, please don't let me find my sister with another guy right now when I need her, _I thought miserably. I scanned the booth, seeing my cousins chatting away with villagers. I quickly spotted her sitting at the same chair….talking to the same boy with the blue hair.

I didn't care if he was there, I needed Marina now. I rushed towards her and almost collapsed on the booth. I honestly forgot when to stop running so I ended up hitting the table anyway and paper, pictures, and pens scattered everywhere. The blue haired boy fell on his back, but I didn't notice. "Nina!"

Marina almost fell out of her chair at the impact and yelled out, "YO! What's up with you? Did something happen?" She squinted her eyes, "And why are you red…."

Maybe it's because we are sisters and have known each other all our lives, our maybe it was because of Marina's extensive knowledge of men because I saw how her mouth shaped into an "O" before slowly forming into a sly smile. She knew what was wrong with me.

"It's a guy, isn't it…" She held a finger up when I opened my mouth, "Not a question, a statement."

"Marina, I just need your help right now. Meet and greet is going to be over soon, so can we just go back to the church now, please?" I begged.

Marina looked as if I just slapped her. "Hey! Relax, relax! Can't I finish my conversation with a fan, please? After all, that's what we are here for in the first place, not to be out randomly conversing with a guy and ignoring everyone else!"

I almost launched myself at her to cover her mouth, until I heard a guy's voice behind me, "Heh heh, gave me a scare there. It's alright though, you should help her Marina. I had a great time talking to you." He turned his direction towards me and with a kind smile said, "The name is Luke! What's yours?"

Luke.

LUKE. This has got to be Owen's friend that was talking about me! It was a good guess; he seemed just as young as Owen and just as energetic.

I muttered _oh shit _under my breath and swiftly looked away as I shook his hand, "Nice to meet you, I'm…her sister." My head quickly turned towards Marina, "I'm also your boss. Get up and come with me now."

Keeping my head down, I headed towards the church knowing that Marina would have to follow. I rarely get to exercise authority to that extent even though I was Mama's right hand woman. But this was an extreme situation so I felt like I had no choice. I felt a little guilty for it, but if I didn't calm down soon, I would be in no condition to dance. But how am I supposed to calm down? Knowing he's somewhere…out there?

I made my way towards the back of the stage, only to see Gill standing by the entrance of the church. He noticed me coming and straightened himself up before walking towards me. I couldn't tell what he wanted, as he had a rather stoic expression on his face.

_Today no one is giving me a break. _

Hm, so this is how Gill normally looks like. So poised, if not a little bit pompous. Well, he is the employer so no need to point out that he should smile a bit more instead of looking like he has a stick up his-

"Good afternoon, Rose. I'm here to pick up the waivers."

I tilted my head, "The wha-?"

I put a hand over my mouth, "Oh yes the waivers! Of course, please follow me." I walked past him and opened the door of the church for him. But he didn't budge, he just stared at me perplexed. It took me a moment to realize why he wouldn't come in, so I giggled, "It's okay Gill, there aren't any indisposed girls right now. Or guys."

Gill looked away and ran a hand through his platinum blonde hair, "Oh uh, that's reassuring. Right, let's get to it." He walked through the doors but not before peeking inside for a bit. I rolled my eyes, but I don't really blame him.

I walked over to my luggage and dug through the contents before pulling out a folder. "Here they are. Signed by all of us and the owner. Is that all?" Gill took the folder from me, nodding after quickly inspecting the papers inside.

"Yes, very good. And yes that's all. I did want to say however," Gill took a step forward towards me.

_Come on bro, if I have any more guys this close to me, I might end up drop kicking someone._

To my relief I saw Gill's stone expression slowly form into a smile, "You were amazing today. Well uh, all of you were. Thank you for such a show. Now if you excuse me," he looked away and again ran his hands through his hair, "I have to attend to the audience. Someone has to make sure they go back to their seats and all."

I smiled and bowed, "Thank you so much, sir. I'm happy we didn't disappoint."

Gill waved his hand at me, "None of that please, I like to be called Gill. You can call me Mayor when I take over my father's place but until then, I'm just deputy mayor Gill. And no, as soon as I saw you, I knew you would be amazing." He quickly turned on his heel and walked away as he said, "Uh, I meant everyone. Well, see you on stage." The doors closed behind him, leaving me speechless.

Before I could make out what just happened, Marina burst through the church doors and marched towards me. She looked livid, "I was having the time of my life but you know what, you just had to pull the boss card on me! What will Luke think? But you know what," she held up her hands and closed her eyes as she calmly said, "I could always just have him approach me again after I go dance again. Until then, let's put you in your costume and you can tell me what happened."

XXXXXXXXXX

"….and I couldn't say anything! He must've thought I was a real idiot or klutz or something. He doesn't know who I exactly am though, I kind of dodged that bullet as best as I could. I just feel so…stupid." I let out a long sigh.

"Hey don't move too much, Rose. I'll burn you," Marina warned me. She released a lock of my hair from her hair curler. By now most of the crew came back and were chatting away while helping each other dress up. Marina was gracious enough to help me curl my hair and style them to look like long beach waves. I was thankful for her generosity considering how terrible I am at curling hair. Not that I had much practice, I just simply preferred straight hair.

"I'm almost done. Now, let me tell you what I think," Marina said as she wrapped another lock of hair onto the hair curler, "I'm guessing the guy was really handsome. I'm also guessing he wasn't just another creep or groupie by the looks of his mannerisms. And I'm almost sure you felt a little something, that he left his own impression." Marina put down the curler and applied hairspray all over my hair. "All done. Haha, wow Rose….usually Mama's key rule to us is to leave a lasting impression. Not the other way around. What will Mama think?"

I turned around and viciously snarled at her, "Mama will know NOTHING! And no he did not! Anyone who hasn't seen a huge muscular beast would have reacted just the same!" I crossed my arms.

Marina looked thoughtful, "Ah but little _hermanita,_ he was not a beast. I just think you aren't used to men like that being so kind to you. That's all I'm saying. I'm also saying that I wouldn't be surprised if you thought he was total eye candy." Her eyes suddenly lit up, "Oh my gosh, is he out there with the audience?"

I shook my head in desperation, "I-I don't know, he said he just got here because YOUR Luke, told him about ME!" I looked at her accusingly, which only made Marina clap her hands in delight. "Why didn't you tell him that it was you Luke was talking about?! You looked like a janitor with that bandana on and now that it's off, show him who you really are! Leave him drooling!"

I groaned, "Marina, weren't you listening? I don't want him to know who I am. It's just awkward…he's going to think oh, the klutz I met is the steamy dancer Luke was talking about? Sounds like all talk to me."

"He said you were steamy?!"

"Not the point."

She grabbed my arm and pulled me towards the door, but I was too stressed out and tired to resist. Once we were outside, she quietly walked towards the curtain and opened it just a bit so she could peer through without drawing attention to herself.

"He has red hair right? Where is he?"

I shrugged, "How would I know? He didn't tell me. Maybe he's with Luke."

She turned her face back to the opening, "Well I see my Luke, but no sign of your Owen." I smacked her arm, "He's nothing of mine, and neither is Luke!"

"Well not yet."

"What if he has a girlfriend?"

Marina glared at me and smacked her lips, "You were gone for twenty minutes. Don't you think I used that time to cover important bases like that with him?" She turned back to the opening, "He is so sweet. He liked how I danced, said I was better than his ex." She looked down and giggled. "She's a dancer too."

I faced her. "Is this it or something?"

Marina looked down, allowing her raven colored hair to fall down her shoulders, "I don't know, I never know. I just like finding out."

She turned towards me, "I see no red haired beefcake. Take a look for yourself."

I quickly took her place and peered through the slit. I see Gill, the mayor next to him, I see a green haired couple… I kept looking more. More couples, a black haired man, a little boy…empty chair, empty chair… I see Calvin, and I see a couple of girls next to him. No surprise there, I thought to myself. With a swagger like his, other girls must have fallen for his charms. But they could just be friends or other customers for all I know. Let's see….Chloe and Ramsey, an empty chair, and Luke….

That was it.

I closed the curtain. "Yeah he's not there. I must've scared him off. Well, no surprise. I have that affect from people. Get it from Mama…"

"Oh gosh, are you disappointed Rose?" Marina gasped, then punched my shoulder continuously as she yelled, "I KNEEWWWW ITTT!"

XXXXXXXXXXX

After much effort and protesting, I managed to shut Marina up before dragging her back to the church. To my horror, I found Mama sitting on a bench clearly expecting us.

Marina and I gasped and stared at her in shock. Mama had her arms crossed as well as her legs. Whenever she does that, either someone is in trouble or she is troubled.

I gulped, "Something wrong, Mama?"

Mama barely glanced at me and sighed. It must've been a long day for her; her lipstick was almost gone, the fine wrinkles on her face were more furrowed, and her lips were pursed. She lifted a finger to her face to push up her stylish glasses up her nose. "Yes," she finally said. "We do have a problem. A big one, Rose."

She looked at us with an eyebrow raised. "Mama, did anyone ever tell you how you look like Scarlett O'Hara from Gone with the Wind whenever you do that? So fierce." Marina held up a thumbs up at her and winked. Mama turned her face towards her and her eyes formed dangerous slits, "This concerns you too, Marina."

Marina hid behind me, "If you have a problem, please take it up with my boss." I heard her barely whisper, "Please don't kill me…."

Mama sighed, "I don't like beating around the bush, so I'll just come out and say it."

Did she hear my conversation with Marina? Did someone tell on her? Or….did Owen actually approach her and asked her if SHE was the steamy dancer….? I felt my heart drop. What if she knew that I missed all of the meet and greet?!

My mother stood up from the bench and faced everyone. "I have a question for all of you." Everyone stood up and looked at her. Some with fear in their eyes.

Mama, you plan on embarrassing me in front of everyone? Suitable punishment. Cruel and unusual, but I deserve it.

I held in my breath.


	5. Back to Basics

Mama placed her hands on her back and asked, "Did anyone notice how many people of Asian descent we have out there?"

Everyone just stared. I'm pretty sure we all wondered why something like was distressing Mama so much.

Rosalinda raised her hand, "Uh, Auntie Tory, why does that matter?"

Mama walked slowly towards her, and I saw Rosalinda slightly cringe. "Because," Mama said in slightly menacing tone, "our group prides itself in bringing diversity to each town, city, village, or island we go to." She stood right in front of Rosalinda and stared her down, "Do you understand where I'm going with this?

Rosalinda whimpered a bit, "Uh…not really. I'm sorry, Auntie!" She bowed her head. Her brother, Marco, stepped in. "Auntie, are you saying we need to perform to an Asian song or something?"

Mama pointed a finger at him, "Ah, good to know I have at least one sharp member in this family." She faced the rest of us, "Yes that is exactly what I'm saying. We have done songs from salsa to hip-hop, classical ballet to reggae. Occasionally, we even have done tribe dances and once a rain dance. But…" Mama looked down and clenched her fists, "I seemed to have made a miscalculation. You see, based on the geographical location of Castanet, I did not expect to see any people from Asian countries. Especially from Korea." She rubbed her temples.

"However over the years, people from all over the world settled here. I have a little girl out there who is half Korean, some folks from a fishery who are full Korean with a bit of Malaysian ancestry, and there's a doctor who is likely Chinese. At least I think he is, I took a good look at his clothes. He came with his grandmother so she must be Asian as well. That's just a few I can name at the top of my head, there's more out there. Oh goodness," she slowly slid into a chair. "I didn't know…"

All of us just stared at her with our jaws open. Mama looked…guilty. This was an emotion we did not have the luxury of experiencing with her. She was always so composed, living her life without a single regret. She was a cautious woman, never allowing herself to make mistakes. Yet here she was, running her hands through her hair. I found myself walking towards her and grabbed her shoulder. Even though we have mostly had a business kind of relationship, she was still my mother. She looked at me with such a worn out look, and at that instant I knew she was asking for help.

I said what needed to be said, "What do you need us to do?"

Mama let out a light laugh, "Oh Rose, I think you know what I need you to do. The question is how will you do it?"

I thought about it real quick. Knowing that Owen wasn't there anymore definitely helped clear my head a bit. Although I felt relieved, I didn't feel exactly happy about it. I didn't think much of it though; I don't often try to make sense of my feelings. Just my thoughts.

I started to process things in my head slightly faster. Without having to worry about Owen or his expectations of the red haired dancer he heard of, I can dance just fine.

And to anything.

"Mama, I got something." Before I could see the look on her face, I whipped my head back to face my crew. "Guys, 2008 we performed a song at an A-Con in Paris. Anyone remember what it is?"

"I remember! It was a song by TOP and G-Dragon!" Joyce yelled out. She jumped up in excitement, her tutu bouncing up and down. I nodded at her, "Find out which song. The archives are in my luggage. The 2008 receipts should be in a blue folder, I want you to see if the name of the song is there. If not, check my journal. I keep a list of performances, dates, pay rates, all that jazz. I know it's there." Joyce gave me a grin and ran off to our room.

I thought a little bit more. "We need to sing as well. Does anyone here know some Korean?"

A few hands were raised. I counted them off: Bryce, Ray, Alma, and Joyce. I frowned, "Okay this kind of limits our choice of songs but we can do it. Bryce, Ray, you guys can do the vocal's for that TOP and G-Dragon song. Alma, Joyce and I can be your backup dancers."

Bryce let out a sigh, "Rose, there's a girl part in the song. Our voices can't go that high."

I smacked my head, "Oh yeah…"

Surprisingly, Mama spoke up again after a long period of silence, "Rose, you speak Korean. Don't you?"

I scratched the tip of my nose, "Well yeah, a little. Not fluently. I just wanted to learn how to properly pronounce the words in any foreign song we sang."

"But can you?"

"I…I suppose. I'm not bad at it. But if you throw me a random Korean song I have never sang before, I can't learn it last minute. I have to already have sang it already."

I saw Ray jump from his seat from the corner of my eye, "Do a Wonder Girls' song! Everyone knows "Nobody"!"

I looked at him pointedly, "How basic can you get…"

He folded his arms over his chest and grinned, "As basic as possible. Considering this is all last minute, it seems like the perfect opportunity to go back to basics."

"Fine, thank you Ray for your input. But not today. Let's stick to one song, okay? Well, everyone get up! You have five minutes to practice anything you remember!"

At that moment Joyce burst through the back doors of the church holding up a piece of paper. "OH YEAH!" she said triumphantly. I just stared at her for a bit.

I raised my hands up in confusion, "Oh yeah what?" She laughed and shook her head, "That's not what I meant, silly. It's the name of the song I was looking for. It's "Oh Yeah" by GD and TOP featuring Bom!" She jumped up and down happily, "I love Bom!"

I sighed as I walked past her, "Then you're gonna love me today."

XXXXXXXXX

"Do we look like K-pop stars to you, Mama?" I motioned towards all of us with my arms. All of us stood in a line, waiting for Mama's approval.

Although I kept the hairdo Marina made for me, I had to change into something more…. like Adilene. She absolutely adores any time of pop music and was more than happy to help with dressing us up to look like Korean pop stars. I was surprised at the fact that male Korean singers often wear makeup, but more surprised at how willing all the guys were. Well, except Diego.

"Man, don't emasculate me like that! I got a beautiful waitress out there expecting me in all my manly glory!" he shouted in protest when Adilene tried to approach him with eyeliner.

She grew angry, "You have to! It's for a performance! This is your job! You don't like it? Then grow up and be a doctor!"

Alma walked over to them with her K-pop outfit already on, a dress topped with a bedazzled jacket and high heels. "No one is expecting you either. If you keep flirting with those girls, the only people expecting you will be their fathers with baseball bats."

Diego grabbed Adilene's arms and wrestled her away, "The heart wants what the heart wants! I know Maya feels it too!"

"Feels what? Lovesick or just sick?" Adilene yelled as she kicked Diego to his knees and tried to pin him down.

Thinking back to Adilene and Diego running around the church and bickering made me want to laugh, but I then heard Mama's voice pierce through my thoughts, "Thank you, Rose."

"Huh." I looked at her confused. I stopped zoning out.

"For organizing this." She spread her arms out to us. "You look wonderful. All of you. I feel so…much better." Mama clutched her chest and let out a long sigh.

"Now please go outside. If you want me to feel better, just impress them all. Oh if only we had more time to practice other songs for other ethnicities out there…."

My cousin Marco spoke up, "No, you were brilliant for thinking of this and amazing for considering other people's cultures. We won't let you down." He walked towards me, "Well, ready when you are." He smiled, and I grinned.

"Let's dance."

XXXXXXXXXX

"Welcome back, ladies and gentlemen! Enjoy the meet and great? Fantastic! I am glad to see all of you excited for more! How excited are you all feeling today?" Hamilton yelled on his microphone.

Thunderous cheers from the crowd nearly deafened my ears. I grinned anyway; I had a good feeling about this performance. We always left one performance featuring all of us for the end, the special thing about it being that we not only danced but sang as well.

I rubbed my hands together; they never ever see it coming, I thought mischievously.

I adjusted my jacket. I've been to Korea before but I have never seen K-pop stars before, so I wasn't sure if I was wearing the proper attire. I still wore my black leather pants, black high heeled boots, but instead of the crop top, I was forced to exchange it for a bejeweled black tube top and a glittery silver jacket. I hate glitter, and I honestly thought Adilene was messing with me when she told me I had to wear it.

"Oh liven up! You wear so many dark and drab colors! You know, if you dressed like the rest of us girls, you might actually attract guys!" She haughtily flipped her hair and walked away clearly annoyed. Usually I would have said something but I thought of a better statement.

"YOU RIPPED THE SLEEVES OFF MY JACKET?!"

I looked up at Adilene, who looked livid. I nonchalantly said, "You mad?"

Adilene stomped her foot, "You're supposed to look like a K-pop singer, not a goddamn badass biker chick!"

I shook my finger at her, "Now now, I didn't do that to look like a biker chick. Biker chicks don't wear bedazzled jackets laced with glitter. Besides, it's freaking hot out there."

Adilene raised her voice, "Maybe it's not how YOU like it but that's how Korean stars dress, you idiot! I could hit you right now, who do you think you are, hardass?!"

I stood up to face her, "You tend to forget who is Mama's executive, or should I say, this company's executive." I waved a finger at her face, "I could literally suspend you for three performances for aggressive behavior. Or all of them because I'm a hardass." I folded my arms, "I've had to file lawsuits against people that attempted to stalk either one of you, attempted to assault you, or threatened you. Groupies, fans, strangers, whatever. And let me tell you, our own crew isn't immune to facing such things. It goes both ways. Someone threatens you, I take care of them. If you threaten me, I take care of you."

I stepped back, "Now do your job and tell the DJ the songs we picked." I turned around, leaving a fuming Adilene to march away.

I felt a slap on my back. "Hey hey, look at you! Giving Adilene the boss card today! She looked SO pissed! You're on a roll today aren't you?" Marina grinned from ear to ear, "Today is the best day of my life."

I gave her a half-hearted smile, "It's just I know how she has a temper problem, punching walls and all that. Being nice and sweet doesn't work with her when she is about to lose it. I just learned how to properly deal with all you." Marina cocked her head to the side, "How do you handle me?"

"By threatening to sew your clothes together so you can never show skin again."

"Oh…. that is deliciously evil."

"What is?" Marina and I turned around, only to see our brother walking towards us. Adam had a big smile on his face as well, "K-pop, eh? I like it! You and Mama can work magic, you know that right Rose? Oh and Marina," Adam looked at her, "Someone asked for you. A Luke, I think. I sat him out there in the front; it was the least I could do since I couldn't bring you to him. Seems nice."

"MOVE PUNK, I GOT A MAN WAITING FOR ME." Marina pushed us aside and ran towards the curtain to peek through. Adam and I burst into laughter at the sight of our ridiculous sister. I cherished humorous moments like this.

"I like your outfit. You look kinda badass. A little bit of biker chic and with a touch of glamour." He felt the jacket, "Did you cut off the sleeves?"

"Not cut, ripped off. There were spikes all over it. Sorry, but I'm not going out looking like some S&M dominatrix."

Adam shrugged, "With those black pants and boots, and a bra, you still think you don't look like one? It's this silver jacket with all this glittery crap that keeps you from looking completely like one."

I heard Marina whisper, "Uh oh…"

I ignored her, "Hey, I don't want to wear mini dresses like everyone else! I like pants, okay? And Adilene and Alma forced me to wear this tube top because I wasn't showing enough sex appeal-"

Marina whispered again, "Rose, I think you need to see this-"

"Not now, Nina!" I shushed her, before talking back to Adam, "Adilene made me wear this jacket. You should have seen the fight we got in, she wanted to hit me! Last week she wanted to hit her own brother, then Joyce, then Ray only because he spilled pineapple juice on her-"

Marina whispered louder, "ROSE! Come here, you need to-"

I turned to her, "Nina, can't this wait?" Adam spoke, "Yeah, I wanna know why you're okay with wearing a tube top that shows off your stomach and shoulders but refuse to wear a jacket." He folded his eyes and gave me a stern look, "You may be older than me, but that gives me no excuse to watch over you. Rose, don't you know the kind of perverts that exist in this world? Perverts like him!" He pointed at Diego, who gave us a confused smile.

He waved, "Hi guys."

"Adam! Out of all people, you want to lecture me? Even with this on, I'm more covered up that most of the girls! And what about Marina?"

"Rose…." Marina whispered urgently. I kept on ignoring her.

Adam raised his hands up and let them drop, "Because Marina is Marina!"

"Bitch, what?!" Marina raised her voice, finally interrupting us. We stared at her in silence, but she went from looking mad to pleased. "Well at least I have your attention now. Rose come here and look through the curtain. And you-" she pointed at Adam, "I will get you back after this."

Adam held his hands up and walked away, "Oh God, please don't spike my drinks again in public. I uh, am gonna go back to my DJ stand." He took off without looking back.

I turned to face Marina and walked towards her. "So, what's the urgency? What's so important that you had to interrupt my conversation with our overprotective baby brother?"

I expect sass from Marina but my face fell when I saw how solemn she looked. "Marina," I said, starting to feel worried, "what's wrong?"

She looked at me quietly before slowly saying, "It's Owen. He's here."


	6. Lost and Found

I felt my heart drop to my stomach. The feeling felt as if I was riding a rollercoaster and we just went over an 80-foot drop. Marina looked at me anxiously.

"Rosie…are you okay?"

I shook my head, "Here, let me see if it actually is him."

I allowed myself to peer through the small opening in the curtain. I quickly scanned the back seats, the middle seats, the-

I held my breath.

He was in the front seat. Next to Luke.

Is that why that seat was empty? Was he saving a seat for him? I couldn't make out what they were saying; they seemed deeply engaged in conversation. I wished I knew what they were saying, and judging from their body language, it must be interesting. Luke's entire body was facing Owen and he was talking using his hands. Owen was leaning back against his chair, arms folded over his chest, one leg up over the other. He was clearly listening to Luke, but he kept his eyes on the stage. Somehow seeing him seated like that intensified my heart beats. I quickly closed the curtains shut, but I still stared straight ahead.

"Is it-"

"Yeah, that's him."

Marina gasped, "Lucky!"

I looked at her suspiciously. She looked delighted, "He's hot! I'm almost jealous you saw him first." Marina covered her mouth and giggled uncontrollably. She made a little hop/dance/jig, making her several golden bracelets jingle loudly.

I looked down at the floor and closed my eyes, "Great. Now he's going to know who I am."

"An amazing dancer? A beautiful girl with the ability to leave others transfixed when she dances? A brilliant leader? A big heart?" Marina said as a matter-of-factly.

I groaned, "What are you talking about?"

Marina pulled me into an embrace, "I understand that someone in your position would feel pressure and be used to finding the flaws in themselves to help better themselves at what they do. But that doesn't mean everyone does that for you. You can't keep living life thinking that everyone is going to check out every flaw first as if they have to evaluate you to see if you're fit to be a good dancer, friend, or lover. And I can tell you right now, the first thing everyone sees with you always leaves them wanting more."

I looked up at her, "Uh, more what?"

Marina put her head on top of mine and laughed, "More of you. What you have to offer. Your love, your care, your friendship, your dancing, your singing. Speaking of which-" Marina trailed off as she bent over and picked up a microphone from her backpack.

"You'll be needing this now. Cuz time is up."

XXXXXXXXXX

She was right. I realized that the whole time we were talking caused me to miss out Hamilton's announcement, introducing us up to the stage one more time; before I could process anything else, I heard our song play.

_I wish Adam's DJ equipment could malfunction right now…_

I felt a clap on my shoulder; I turned around and saw Bryce looking at me with his big brown eyes. "Hey Cuz, look, Ray and I are gonna go first and sing our parts. The girls are gonna be right behind us doing their thang. You know how the song goes, when your time comes, I'm gonna need you to walk through these curtains, between the girls, and sing between me and Ray. Got it?"

I quickly nodded.

"Great. Shake a little booty if you can. We have a bunch of guys in the front row." He winked at me before he and Ray disappeared through the curtains.

_Thanks, you bastard. I was just trying to forget that._

I shook my head and paced around a bit, concentrating on the song playing to calm my nerves.

_Try to lose yourself, just think of that beat, those lyrics, and numb them all out…._

_Okay, they just introduced themselves._

_That's Ray singing GD's part…now that's Bryce with TOP's parts…._

_Oh God, they're starting to reach the bridge….remember your Korean, now._

_Okay relax, Rose. Take a deep breath, and do a countdown._

_3…._

_2…._

_1…._

I refused to think any further. I walked through those curtains, ignoring the cheers, the yells, the whistles, even my own family. I walked past the dancers as I slowly put the microphone to my lips and sang,

_eum oneulcheoreom byeori bitnaneun bame_

_haengunui yegami uril bureune _

_areumdaun soriro jilleojwo_

I found myself gaining confidence with each step I took, with each word I sang out. During times like this, I forget the incredibly therapeutic power singing has over me. I decided to look straight ahead, ignoring not just the front seat but every other seat as well. As I regained my confidence bit by bit, I gradually regained my composure and became more aware of what my body was doing. I remembered that I should be dancing, that this is was for Mama, and for everyone here. I allowed a coy smile escape from my lips and with more confidence sang my next part,

_Like this,_

_like this,_

_like this!_

_OH YEAH!_

I startled to shuffle across the floor with Ray and Bryce by my side, surprising the crowd. I almost laughed out loud, why were they surprised? I don't look like the type to know how to do this kind of stuff? I felt challenged by this and walked in front of my female dancers, my own cousins, and started to dance.

_OH YEAH!_

The crowd's wild cheers fueled me even more. I found myself starting to look at the crowd but not faltering one bit with my dancing. I turned around and shook my hips as my cousins followed my cue. Then I turned and slid across the stage with one knee, jumped up to both my feet, and pumped a fist in the air.

_OH YEAH!_

I put my microphone into the audience's way and they shouted,

_OH YEAH!_

I caught a brief glimpse at Adam, who shook his head and laughed. I smiled and continued leading my backup dancers. I decided to do some locking while Ray and Bryce sang, and they must've liked what I was doing because they soon joined me.

_Put you__r__ hands in the air,_

_Put your hands in the air! Say Yeah! _

_Put your hands in the air, _

_Put your hands in the air! Say Yeah!_

I clapped my hands in the air, motioning for the crowd to do the same. They enthusiastically complied. I tucked my microphone on my back pocket walked down from the stage with Alma and Rosalinda, got down on one knee and started tutting with both girls doing the same by my side. I heard chairs topple over backwards as we continued to tut, but I couldn't help but smile. I knew no one expected to move the way I did just now, knowing how everyone considered me just the Latin dancer. But what everyone failed to consider was that I was Mama's right hand woman. Meaning I needed to have experience in every field of dance as much as possible.

I heard my part come up again. I jumped up and put my microphone to my lips again.

OH YEAH!

I ran down the aisle as I sang, and immediately hands reached out to me.

OH YEAH!

I danced my way back to the stage as the rest of my cousins got down from the stage to sing to the crowd up. I gave it my all: I shook my hips, tossed my hair around, fist pumped the air, and I even popped my shoulders and arms to the beat of the music. The whole time I could feel all eyes on me, but I didn't care. I just wanted to sing, I just wanted to lose myself so I could never feel nervous again.

_OH YEAHHHHHH!_

I finally put the microphone down and allowed myself to breathe. Wow, I didn't realize how worn out I would be after what I have done. My throat felt a little dry, and my legs felt like they were about to give out. All I could see was the crowd in front of me, standing up and clapping, while looking at us in rapture. I felt an arm on my shoulders and looked up only to see Ray looking at me, sweaty but glowing.

"You're crazy! I don't know what came over you, but you were incredible! This was one of Mama's best ideas, I swear!" He let out a loud laugh and I joined him, supporting myself on him. I quickly looked down at the floor, realizing Owen was nearby but I was too happy to worry much. Actually, the thought of him being close and having seen me perform brought a small smile on my face.

I didn't know why, but I didn't seem to mind. Hamilton's voice booming through the speakers stopped my train of thought abruptly.

"Fabulous, just fabulous! Thank you Miranda Dance Company for concluding this show with a blast! Weren't they just wonderful, everyone? Give it up one more time!"

_Man if I clapped this much, my hands would fall off…._

A loud and sudden sound caught my attention. Without warning myself, my head automatically turned towards the direction of the sound. My mouth opened wide.

There he was, clapping loudly. The sound was coming from his hands, which were clapping against each other ecstatically and alarmingly loud. I couldn't help but look at his face again, his smiling face. Owen looked at me with large grin on his face and when we made eye contact, he put his fingers to his lips and let out a loud whistle. But it wasn't the kind of whistle guys go when they're trying to get the attention of a girl, it was…normal, I suppose. I couldn't help but return back his grin and nodded at him.

He put his hands on his hips, shook his head at the floor and laughed, then looked me up from toe to head before his eyes settled on mine. Those eyes…

I felt as if the wind knocked my breath from my lungs because I felt breathless at the sight. Oh yeah that's right, he's toxic to me. I almost forgot. I quickly turned and walked up the stage and headed for the curtains.

If only it were that easy.

"Wait, Rose! Please, come here so you can receive a proper thanks from all of Castanet for your hard work put into planning this!" Hamilton boomed out, stopping me in my tracks.

_Goddammit….so close…._

XXXXXXXXX

"Mama, how many days do we have left here?" I asked, as I laid on the floor facedown. After Hamilton clearly gave my identity away, I felt as if I was stripped off my clothes publicly. Not only that, I had to stay back as Hamilton praised me and received more applause from the crowd. I awkwardly bowed before I waved and scurried away. Marina had joined us and sat next to Mama, helping her sort out paperwork from today's performance. It was nothing interesting, really.

Mama didn't look up from her paperwork, "Three. For Gents' Night, Ladies' Night, and Medley night." She looked up, "Why?"

She narrowed her eyes at my silence. Shit, she's catching on to me. Think Rose, think….

We were thankfully interrupted by a knock on the door. Mama turned her attention away from me, "Yes?"

Diego poked his head cautiously out from the door, "Hey Auntie, there's someone here to see Rose." Marina's head quickly shot up from staring at paperwork.

"Who is it?"

I walked over the door and peered behind Diego. I felt a smile grow on my face; standing behind him, with a restless look on her face, was no other than Chloe. I turned back, "It's the little girl I told you about, Chloe. I'll be back for a minute." Diego turned and walked away.

I walked out the door but still heard Marina say, "Aw man!" before shutting it close. I bent down and gave Chloe a quick hug. "Hey sweet pea, how are you? Hope you don't mind me hugging you while I'm still kind of sweaty. I haven't had time to change." Chloe shook her head and smiled up at me.

"How did you get in here?" I lifted her chin up with my hand.

Chloe swayed on her heels, "I asked around. But it wasn't that hard to do cuz all the girls are nice to my cousin so he helped a lot!" She covered her mouth with her gloved hands and giggled, "It happens a lot. I really liked your dancing! You sing really pretty! I didn't know you sang too! Do you speak Korean? I know a little bit, but I'm not good! Can you teach me? Oh, can you actually teach me how to sing in Korean? No! Teach me to sing AND dance IN Korean too!"

A light chuckled filled the room, "Now, Chloe let's not overwhelm Miss Rose here. She's probably really exhausted right now."

_That voice…._

Knowing what to expect, I looked up anyway. Standing behind Chloe and leaning against a wall was Owen, another smile on his face. How long has he been watching? And why didn't I notice him there? I stood where I was, just staring at him. I was never good at breaking the ice; I just kind of started to rely on him to break it.

He started to walk towards us, with an expression on his face I couldn't quite decipher. Was it amusement? Surprise? Mockery?

Owen stood next to Chloe and looked at me in fascination, but no words came out. He just gazed at me with a smile on his face. I pushed my hair out of my face, "What?"

Owen laughed for a bit, "So you're the one huh? You are the one I came all the way from home for, aren't you…Rose?"

I found my voice again, "How…do you know that it was me that you were looking for? I'm not the only red head here."

His smile just grew at my puzzled expression. I saw his hand reach into his pocket and to my shock, pulled out the picture I took with Chloe. The picture we took after I removed my bandana...exposing my red hair...

Owen held up the picture. "Because I still have this," he smiled.


	7. An Unusual Experiment

**Author's Note: Thank you all for your wonderful reviews! It makes me feel better about posting more chapters knowing that some people are reading them and enjoying the story. I love to read your feedback so please feel free to favorite, follow, or comment with compliments, complaints, and/or suggestions! Who knows? Your suggestion may come up in the next upcoming chapters;)**

**Enjoy!**

"Hey give that back!" Chloe demanded as she jumped up and down, trying to reach for the picture. Owen held it up a bit higher, although I didn't understand why he would have to do that. He was at least three feet taller than her. Maybe more….

"Not so fast, kiddo. I just have a few questions first for Rose, if that's okay." He looked at me with a hopeful look in his eyes. I frantically thought of ways I could weasel my way out of this.

Chloe stomped her foot on the ground and look impatient, "No fair! I came to see her and talk to her, not for you to hog her all to yourself. And don't grip that picture too hard, you'll ruin it!"

Their bickering was interrupted by a sudden door slam. We all looked back at the door and saw Marina standing behind me with her hands clasped together. She looked starstruck as her gaze drifted from me to Owen, then to me again.

She opened her arms wide open, "Well hello there! You must Owen, I have heard sooo much about you." She purposely dramatized the "so much" bit and she finished her welcome with a flirtatious wink aimed at Owen.

Owen dryly laughed and rubbed the back of his neck, "Well hello. I take it you must be one of Rose's….cousins?" Marina abruptly wrapped her arm around my shoulders and pressed her face next to mine. I felt my face tighten.

_Why Marina…why…._

"Her cousin?! Ah we don't look alike very much do we? We get that a lot!" She squeezed my cheek, resulting in me smacking her hand away.

"Marina, don't do this to me now-" I was interrupted as Marina quickly put her hand over my mouth.

"I was always the darker and prettier one, but Rosie and I are actually sisters!" She wrapped both arms around me and squeezed me. I just kept my arms limp around my sides.

"She's a little resistant but I love her so much!"

"I hate you." I replied flatly.

Marina threw her head back and laughed heartily, "See? But trust me Owen, with just enough effort, she can be an absolute sweetheart!"

"You're the bane of my existence."

Owen shook his head and grinned, "Well it's very nice to meet you Marina. You were also very impressive on the dance floor. I know a girl that belly dances too actually. But personally," he leaned a bit towards us and kept his voice low. "I think you were much better."

Marina delicately placed a hand on her chest and gasped, "Really? You must have good taste then!" She giggled and tossed her hair back, "Why though? Was it my outfit? How I shook my hips? Or was it because I got an encore?"

_Are they really flirting in my face?_

"No, because she is his ex." Chloe bluntly said as she crossed her arms and grimaced. My eyes opened wide.

_This day just keeps getting better. _

I looked at Owen almost immediately who looked back at me with a bashful look on his face. "Uh, that's a reason but not the biggest. Anyway, I should go. I have to get back to work. It was nice to meet you Marina, take care now," he said quickly.

Chloe held out her hand, "Owen, the picture."

"Oh yeah…" Owen stared at the picture for a bit before he somewhat reluctantly handed it to Chloe, who quickly snatched it away. She then squealed in delight and turned towards me, "I guess I have to go back now. But when can I see you again?" Her lips formed a pout.

I nearly forgot why I was so annoyed when I saw the longing in her eyes. I felt my facial expression soften and I smiled at her as I took her tiny hands in mine, "Anytime you would like, sweet pea. I don't really have work tomorrow since it's going to be the guys' turn to dance. We can do anything you would like. So," I grinned. "What's it gonna be?"

Chloe swayed a bit as she shyly said, "Well, I really meant it when I said if you could teach me anything like what you did on your last performance. I like K-pop tons!"

"What's your favorite song? Pick any, I don't care how hard it is." I laughed.

Chloe's face lit up, "Wonder Girls! Wonder Girls!"

I literally felt the room turn cold at that instant. _Goddamit Rose, look what you did…._

I nodded, "See you tomorrow then, Chloe." I hugged her one last time before she happily ran towards Owen and grabbed his hand. He smiled down at her before he looked back at me, "I wish I had more time to talk but…"he coughed nervously, "When can I see you again?"

I shrugged, "I don't know. We have Gents' Night in two days." I pointed at Marina, "She'll be there." I didn't know why, but for some reason I wanted him to want to see me again but I also didn't want to see him again. The ambivalence I felt towards him forced me to react with indifference.

"Will you be there?"

I was taken back, "Me? I uh…I guess. I kind of have to."

"Great! See you there then! Although," he grinned, "something tells me I will be seeing you much sooner than that." He waved and walked away with Chloe, who turned back and kept waving at us vigorously until they walked out the door. I waved back and turned back to walk to our room, only to have Marina standing right there in my face.

I made a face, "Woman, you almost gave me a panic attack." Marina placed her hand on her hips, "You think I didn't see that, Rose?!"

I took a step back and held out my hands in defense, "What are you talking about, Nina?"

Marina shook her head in frustration, "That! What just happened! I totally saw that chemistry between you!" I crossed my arms, "Nina, you flunked chemistry two times when we were homeschooled. How would you know what chemistry is between two people if you can't even tell the chemistry between an acid and a base?"

Not the best comeback I had, but it was the only thing I had to stall for time.

She frowned, "I may not be a scholarly person, but I am a people person. Comes with the job, you know. You know what else comes with the job? Men. I've seen plenty of guys interested in me and in love with me. Even obsessed, or crazy about me. Whatever, there's a difference. And I can tell you one thing, he's definitely interested."

I felt my annoyance come back, "In you."

"No stupid, in you."

I rolled my eyes, "How would you know? Look at me and look at you!" I held out my arms so she could take a good look at me. Compared to me, she was an Amazonian goddess with dark hair and brown eyes. Her dancing was quite a commodity in modern cities that have never seen such exotic women move like that before. She was the kind of person you would only read about, but when you saw her, you couldn't believe someone like that existed. Someone fit to perfection, with high cheekbones and full lips that could carve themselves into the most seductive smile you have ever seen. Then there was me: shy of strangers, always confused for the bookkeeper, and always serious. In fact, most people didn't even know I had violet eyes since I was always trying my best to avoid them in general. I didn't mean to, it's just that we always start off as strangers before we became acquainted. It can't be helped, really.

Marina grabbed my arms and looked at me with a glint in her eye, "Because I tested it out. I am way into Luke to look at anyone else so I decided to experiment by flirting with Owen." I glared at her, "Yeah… I think it was obvious to both me and Chloe."

She grinned, "Let me explain. I tried to divert his attention to me, just to test how fickle or in this case, shallow, he may be. By the looks of him, I assumed he would easily fall for someone like me who was clearly showing interest in him. I mean, he also is pretty hot and muscular. I think he knows that he could get girls easily, but I'm not sure." I made a face at her, which made her say, "PFFT, Rose I know I am beautiful, okay. Any mother like ours would only have good looking offspring!"

I put my hands on my hips, "Right, that's the reason why you believe you are so beautiful." She wasn't wrong, but it wouldn't kill her to be modest once in a while.

Marina winked at me and continued, "Thing is, it didn't work. I failed. He kind of looked at me weird. Yeah he smiled and paid attention to me like a gentleman, but the look on his face showed that…he was just waiting for me to stop talking," Her eyes opened wide, "Rosie, he didn't even care if I was going to Gents' Night or asked if he will see me around. He only wanted to know about you." I felt my face heat up.

She smiled warmly and softly said, "He wants you, Rose. So stop being jealous." I immediately snapped back and clenched my fists, "I'm not jealous! I was just waiting for you to stop talking to I could ask Chloe what she wanted!" Marina snapped her fingers at my face," You think I didn't observe you either? I saw how you kept flickering your eyes between him and me! You thought I was really flirting, and you didn't like how that felt, did you?"

_Shit, she looked at me too?!_

I straightened my jacket and as calmly as I could said, "This conversation is over. I have to tell everyone to pack up and you have to go help Mama with her paperwork." I was alarmed at how intuitive she was being, and I didn't want to hear more. Her explanation was actually making sense, but for some reason, I couldn't believe it.

I walked away, "Now get back to work." She yelled at me, "Man, you always pull the "Boss" card whenever you don't want to continue a conversation!"

XXXXXXXXXX

"Hey Ray?"

Ray turned back to me and smiled, "What's up, Rose?"

It was already nightfall and all of us were already settled back at the inn. Diego kept sneaking out trying to see Maya so some guys were outside the guys' room, just for safe measures. I couldn't sleep so I figured I could talk to Ray when I saw him standing outside the door with Marco and Bryce, who were already fast asleep on their chairs.

I twiddled with my fingers, "What was that Wonder Girls song you were talking about?" I braced myself, waiting for him to tease me.

All I heard was chuckling, "Can I ask why?"

I put my hands on my back, "There's this little girl. Here name is Chloe, very sweet girl. She has red hair, even redder cheeks. She asked if I could show her a choreo to a Wonder Girls song. Figured I could ask you since you mentioned that you knew a Wonder Girls son." I looked up at him anxiously.

He looked thoughtful and leaned against the wall, "Yeah, I know who you are talking about. Me and the guys signed some autographs for her, she was really into the whole breakdancing thing." He laughed, "She said she has never known people that could move like that and kept asking us if we were hurt or anything. She even handed some of us a Band-Aid."

We both laughed together for a bit until he said, "Hey, meet me in the morning. I have an idea as to how we can really impress her. Whaddya say? You down?"

I nodded, "Yeah, I'm down. Now get some sleep. Don't worry about Diego, I gave Maya my pocketknife if she needed it." I thanked him and walked back to my room.

The girls' room was still and the only thing I could hear were the gentle snores from some of the girls. I looked at the canopy of my bed and placed my hands behind my head. From a distance, the waves were gently crashing onto the cliffs and the pier. The heat from today reduced a cool chill that drifted through our window. I looked out the window, and watched as the moonlight's dim light dusted everyone's faces. But the shade of blue from the night sky reminded me of his face.

I let out a long sigh. How can you tell if someone is interested in you? And if he truly was, what are his intentions? What kind of interest is it? He strikes me as the older brother type since his personality kind of reminded me of Adam, who was always cheerful and overprotective. I looked away and faced the wall, but I could still see his face. Well…even if he was just being nice, it's a good thing that he was not interested in Marina.

_I'm…I'm glad._


	8. Good Friends

**Author's Note: I want to give a huge THANK YOU to the lovely, Loyal Reader! Thank you so much for you kind words and critique, it means the world to me! I dedicate this chapter to you, thank you for inspiring to keep writing:) I wish you had an account so I could respond to you but this will do for now haha.**

**You are amazing!**

"DIEGO, LET GO OF MY LEG!"

I tried to shove my cousin off my leg, who completely latched himself on me when he found out I was paying a quick visit to Maya. After waking up this morning, I realized that I had no idea where Chloe lived. I figured Maya might know so I walked over to the boys' room and whispered to Ray that I would be asking her. Unfortunately, I was overheard.

Diego struggled to maintain his grip on my leg, "Please?! The guys won't let me see her!"

I reached down and grabbed his ear as I hissed, "And you honestly wonder why?! You're coming off too strong! If you want her attention, be more subtle! Sweep her off your feet at Gents' Night or something. Girls love dancers!'

I wasn't sure if what I was saying was really true but I was ready to say anything just to get him off of me. Diego's face lit up, "But of course! You are so right Rose, I'll dance my best tonight and keep my eyes on her!" He let go, "I better start practicing! Gents' Night starts at 7!"

He took off.

I rubbed my temples. _Lord, give me patience…._

XXXXXXXXX

I knocked on the door that had a pink handle. I assumed this was Maya's room, since it also had the distinct smell of burnt food permeating through the door.

The pink handle helped mostly though.

The door opened and I saw Maya come out, rubbing her sleepy eyes. Instead of her usual maid outfit, she wore a pink robe with matching slippers. She smiled sleepily when she saw me.

"Good morning, Rosie!"

I winced a bit but I laughed. No one else other than my family called Rosie. But coming from her, I didn't seem mind.

"Good morning, Maya. I'm sorry if I woke you up, I just didn't know who else to ask-" I trailed off as I scratched my head in embarrassment. "I don't know where Chloe lives. You know her right?"

Maya smiled, "Why yes I do! She lives up in the mountains next to the mine! There's a mine cart next to the church, just take the stairs. You can't miss it, teehee. It'll take you straight there! I can give her a call to meet you outside." She leaned on her door, "Hey, are you going to the Brass Bar today? I know some of the guys talked about dancing there."

I shook my head, "Oh I'm not sure if I'll go. It's just the guys performing today, the girls perform tomorrow."

She looked excited, "Ooooh! I would love to see you! You're very good you know, Rose. Everyone was talkin' about you!" Maya giggled behind her hands, "Hehe does that embarrass you?"

I blushed, "I don't know… I'm sorry, I just didn't expect everyone here to be so…nice." Maya frowned, "Have you only known meanies all your life or something?"

I shrugged and put my hands in my pockets, "People are different all around the world. I've only known rude customers, obsessive customers, or drunk customers. Sometimes, even indifferent customers. I don't always know what people say about me. But I guess with a small town like this, word travels fast huh? Oh," I laughed in embarrassment, "I'm sorry for blabbering, but between you and me, I don't know how to respond to compliments like that."

Maya and I laughed together for a bit. She put her hands on her face, "You're so sweet though! I'd rather you be shy than stuck up! I will definitely cheer for you at Ladies' Night!" I immediately put my hands up and shook my head, "Oh, Maya! I should have mentioned this sooner, but Gents' Night is not only for men! It's for the girls to go see just the guys dance! Haha, Ladies' Night is for men. Do you understand?"

As embarrassing as that sounded, I just had to let her know. I didn't want poor, sweet Maya to be the only girl in a room full of men cheering for me. Not to mention that our performances would be more suited for… a man's taste. I grimaced at the thought.

Maya's eyes grew wide, "Ohhh say no more! I don't mind going to Ladies' Night though, maybe I'll see the cute breakdancer there." She looked at me cheerfully.

I stared at her in horror. Is it possible that she means…?

"Uh, Maya, I'm not sure if that's a good…."

"Sure it is! He's so sweet, always following me around and asking me questions about me. I think I'll bake him cookies!" She clapped her hands happily.

I thought her offer over. Didn't Yolanda warn us about Maya's cooking the other day?

"You know what, I would love to help you. Did you know," I wrapped my arm around her shoulders and lead her to the kitchen, "that tartar sauce actually brings out the flavor in cookies?"

Don't judge me.

XXXXXXXXXX

After helping Maya bake her "cookies", I walked over to the church to find the mine cart. Earlier that day I had already discussed with Ray our secret plans to surprise Chloe. We ultimately agreed that I would meet up Chloe first and he would come soon after. On my way to the mine cart, I stopped by to greet people and became acquainted with a few of the townsfolk. It was usually my job to remember names and to greet people so it was a good time to go around to introduce myself. To my relief, everyone was welcoming and responsive to me.

I met two elderly ladies taking a stroll around town named Irene and Shelly, who kindly greeted me and thanked me for saying hello. Shelly complimented my eyes and Irene reminded me to wear sunscreen after pointing out how tanned my skin was. I smiled and thanked both of them. I also met a young man and his cousin, named Toby and Paolo respectively. Lastly, I met a blue-haired girl walking around the Church Grounds. She initially looked hesitant to greet me and stuttered a hello to me, but I was patient with her regardless and introduced myself then asked her a bit about herself.

Her name was Candace and she worked at the tailor's. Apparently, she also had severe fear of strangers. I smiled sympathetically and patted her shoulder, "I'm really shy of strangers too. I get so nervous, it impairs my ability to dance. But when I came here, I realized how sweet everyone was so it wasn't so bad anymore. It didn't seem reasonable to be scared of people who are really nice to you. That's why I don't feel so shy when I talk to you; not only can I tell that you are really sweet but I can relate to you as well."

Candace smiled at me and with a bit more confidence in her voice said, "T-thank you, Rose. That m-m-makes me feel b-better." I smiled, "I hope you can visit sometime. I offered Maya dance lessons, it would be fun if you came!"

She nodded, "I-I would like that v-very much. Can I b-bring my sister?"

"The more the merrier! You can meet my sister too!" I quickly stopped myself after thinking over what I said.

"You know what, you can just meet the rest of my cousins instead."

After my conversation with sweet Candace, I finally found the mine cart and jumped right in. I pushed the lever to go forward, and the mine cart took off. A minute or so later, I reached my stop at the base of a large mountain. My mouth dropped in awe: from here, I could see the entire town and even the land beyond the town. I saw a couple of farms, a windmill, even some animals. The ocean looked much wider than I thought it was as well as endless. I quickly shut my mouth and got out from the cart. I could always go sightseeing some other day.

"Rose! Over here! Roseee!"

I whipped my head around and immediately felt a warm feeling come over me. Chloe was waving from the front of her home, which I also assumed was the Blacksmith's shop due to the huge sign in the shape of an anvil on top of the building. I waved and walked over to her.

"Well hello! Are you ready to dance and sing all in Korean?" I asked enthusiastically. Chloe jumped up and down as she raised her arms over her head, "YES! Can we start now? I can't wait any longer!"

I grinned mischievously, "Actually, I thought of something better. I brought a few people to help make this lesson ten times more fun. Guys! Come out here please!"

At that moment the mine cart rolled up, carrying some of my cousins as well as my brother. I saw Ray get up and help Joyce and Alma get out the cart; Adam just jumped out and walked over to us.

"Hi there, you must be little Chloe!" Adam said with a friendly smile on his face. He bent down to shake Chloe's hand, "You can call me Adam. That big guy with the snapback is called Ray and those two girls are called Joyce and Alma."

Chloe's cheeks turned a bit redder as she whispered, "Nice to meet you…"

Adam smiled, "Don't be shy! Come, you can be by me while they show you the steps. I'm the DJ you see, so I brought my equipment. Rosie and Ray thought it would make your dance lesson more awesome if we had music. Can't dance without music, you know! Want me to show you how to set it up and use it?"

By now Chloe's face was red all over, "Y-yes! I'd love to… Adam!" To our surprise, she wrapped her arms around Adam's waist and thanked him profusely. She then took his hand and took off with him to set up the DJ stand. My mouth dropped, what was that all about?

From afar I saw Ray run his hand through his hair, obviously in distress, "Damn, not again…"

XXXXXXXXXX

"Okay Chloe! We will show you these steps as many times as you need. They're very simple and repetitive so it won't be too hard. Ready?" Joyce said brightly. Instead of her usual ballerina attire and bun in her hair, she chose to wear a simple sundress and tied her blonde hair into a ponytail. Alma insisted on us wearing the same sundress as her so they could all look like a girl group. But when she tried to ask me to wear a sundress I responded with narrow eyes and a snarl. She backed off and allowed me to wear jeans and a white tank top. I stood out but I didn't care. I'd rather stand out than match with those two.

"I'm ready!" Chloe waved from the DJ stand where she stood next to Adam. He looked down as his equipment before looking at me and giving me a thumbs up. I nodded and counted down, "Three, two, one…!"

"Nobody" by Wonder Girls started to play at that instant. Joyce, Alma, and I quickly flaunted our arms over our heads in unison. It was probably one of the easiest choreographies we ever had to learn, so I had no problem singing along while dancing and making funny faces at the same time. Chloe would throw her head back and burst out in laughter whenever it would be my turn to sing. In fact, when it was Alma's turn to sing, I crossed my eyes and pretended to lip sync to her part.

I rarely goofed around whenever we performed but today I just couldn't help myself. It just delighted me whenever I saw how much Chloe laughed and figured that it wouldn't hurt to allow her to enjoy herself that much. However with the amount of fun we had, time seemed to speed up much faster than usual and next thing I knew we were in our finishing poses.

Chloe's face was radiant with excitement as she jumped up and down exclaiming, "I got the moves down! That was easy, can I try now and make faces like Rose?!"

Joyce blinked, "Wait she was making faces…?"

Before I could admit to my crime, I heard loud clapping. I looked around but I didn't see any of the guys nor Chloe clap. But Alma apparently saw because she tugged the sleeve of my shirt and pointed behind me. She looked like she was about to hyperventilate. I quickly turned around, hoping…just hoping….

I groaned and smacked my forehead.

Standing outside the mine was no other than Owen with a smirk on his face. I understood why Alma looked so taken back at seeing him because not only was he wearing the same black muscle shirt, he was sweaty and covered with dirt. He had a huge iron hammer swung over his shoulder and a large black bag on the other hand.

"Hi! Did you enjoy our impromptu show?" Alma coyly said as she waved at him. Joyce put herself in front her and waved more excitedly, "Hi there, like what you saw?" Alma looked livid and struggled with Joyce to put themselves in front of the other. It was absolutely ridiculous. For once, the performers were acting like the fan girls instead of the other way around.

I quietly snapped, "Get a hold of yourselves, you're acting unprofessional."

They immediately stopped. "She started it, Rose." Joyce said as she pointed at Alma. Before Alma could react, Owen's laughter stopped her in her tracks and he walked towards us.

"Nice to see you all again! Although, Rose doesn't look too excited to see me," Owen said with a playful tone in his voice. He looked at me with a satisfied grin, "Told you that I had a feeling I would see you sooner." My cousins quickly turned their heads to me in surprise.

"Rosie, do you know this guy?" asked Alma. She looked both mad and impressed at the same time. I reluctantly responded, "Yes, I met him sometime during the meet and greet." Joyce looked confused, "Really? But I didn't see him at the booth!"

Owen spoke up, "Oh no we met somewhere else and talked for a bit. I also took my cousin backstage to meet Rose. She's right there-" He pointed at Chloe who waved back.

"Owen! Come say hi to Adam! He's so nice and he can make music out of this thingie!"

_Cousins? So… he lives here too? With Ramsey? They're related too?!_

Owen frowned, "Really? Do you know this man, Chloe?" I noticed his grip on his hammer tighten.

Adam stepped down from his booth. His brown eyes lacked the cheerfulness they usually had. "I should be asking you the same thing, buddy. How do you know my sister?"

I quickly stepped in between them and held my arms out, "Stop with all the questions already! Look, Adam this is Owen. Owen, this is my younger brother, Adam. Don't take any offense; he's just very overprotective. Adam, be reasonable. He's overprotective of his cousin too. Something you clearly understand. Joyce and Alma, this is Owen. Now wipe those ridiculous smiles off your faces, you look as if you've never seen a man before. Ray, meet Owen. Owen, these are my cousins." I finally breathed, "Now that that's settled, I believe Chloe wanted her turn. With that said, get in positions girls. Ugh, that means both of you!" I yelled at Joyce and Alma, who were slowly sliding up to Owen and giggling profusely. They immediately stopped in their tracks and mumbled some obscenities under their breath as they retreated back to Chloe.

Chloe ran down the booth and stood in front of me, "Thanks Rose! I won't let you down!"

I smiled, "I know you won't, not with all this energy! Wanna give Adam the call? You get the honor of calling all the shots for me."

She nodded and looked at Adam, "Music, please!" Chloe batted her eyelashes at him, and unfortunately Owen caught that. He looked at Adam questioningly.

Adam backed off, "I swear I didn't do anything, man. If it's any solace, she ain't my type!"

XXXXXXXXXX

I sat down on the grass and watched as the girls with Chloe began to dance to "Nobody." I put my head on my knees and smiled as I observed; Chloe could easily keep up with the rest of the girls, and looked so happy. She reminded me of myself whenever I was younger for some reason. When I was just barely learning how to dance, I would get just as excited whenever I could get a step or two down. The nostalgia was so bittersweet that I almost forgot that Owen was still around. After introducing him to my cousins, he walked over to get acquainted with Adam and Ray. By the looks of their conversation, it seemed as if any ill feelings were long gone. Adam and Owen seemed to be enjoy their conversation, I even heard Ray crack a few jokes.

"Yo, the golden rule is to never piss off Rose. If you do, you'll end up fired and homeless within a minute!" Ray exclaimed.

The guys laughed and looked over at me.

I looked up at them and casually stuck up my middle finger at them, showing that I overheard them.

They quickly stopped laughing and looked away. I turned my attention back to Chloe's little performance.

_Chloe is so good at this, I wonder if we could have a performance with her as a guest dancer? I wonder if she can sing… well if she doesn't, no matter. I could teach her. Kind of makes me feel a little down knowing we'll be leaving in three days though…. among other things. _

"Mind if I sit here with you?"

I snapped out of my thoughts and looked up, meeting Owen's eyes. He, like always, had a kind smile on his face.

"What are you so happy about?" I said, without bothering to filter my thoughts. I gasped, "Oh sorry…. Did it again. Spoke before thinking. Yeah, go ahead."

I scooted over and he plopped himself next to me. He took out a white handkerchief and wiped his forehead sweat. I peeked through the corner of my eye; the sweat in his arms really drew attention to his muscles, which always seemed to flex at each movement he made. I quickly looked away and focused my attention back to Chloe.

"She's pretty good, isn't she?" Owen finally spoke.

"Mhm," I responded curtly.

I heard him clear his throat nervously. I almost felt bad for sounding rude, I honestly didn't mean to. But how are you supposed to act when there's a muscular giant glistening with sweat right next to you?

Owen quietly said, "Uh Rose? Do you dislike me or something?"

_What?_

Forgetting my restlessness, I looked at him in surprise and found myself at a loss of words. "Huh, what-"

He scratched his neck; "It's just that you get quiet whenever I try to make conversation with you. Sometimes you don't even look at me. Do I make you uncomfortable or something? Sorry to be so forward, I'm just a pretty frank person haha."

I kept my eyes on him as much as I could to not be rude, despite the anxiety it made me feel. He looked so serious but there was still that same kindness in his eyes. Why was I so rude to someone like, like…him?

I sighed, "It's not like that. S-strangers, make me nervous. Not to mention that usually guys that would approach me were not very good people. I'm not used to people like you. But," I fiddled with a strand of my red hair, "if you're so honest, then I shouldn't be so standoffish. I like honest people."

My eyes looked down, unsure of what to say next. He probably feels like there's no hope in bothering to talk to someone like me. I felt my heart drop at the thought.

"Hey, I didn't know you had violet eyes. Can I see?"

Next thing I knew, I felt his fingers on my chin as he gently turned my face towards him. My eyes opened wide in surprise but I allowed him to peer into my eyes. I felt the same impulse to run away but this time, it wasn't as strong of an impulse. Gravity kept its hold on me.

"Wow, never seen anything like it. You have a few freckles on your face too. I used to think your cheeks were red because of makeup, but I don't see any makeup on you now. You have naturally red cheeks, like Chlo's." He smiled and pulled his fingers away but kept his eyes on me.

I stammered quietly, "I thought you only wanted to see my eyes."

He laughed gently, "I couldn't help myself, sorry. Here I am, apologizing for making you uncomfortable yet I just made you uncomfortable…"

"No! I mean-" my sudden outburst surprised me, but I continued anyway. "It's okay. I did the same when I first met you."

I smacked my forehead again, "Damn, I just blurted out my thoughts again." Luckily for me, I heard the music stop at that moment. I looked up and saw Chloe run to Adam and excitedly say something to him. Joyce and Alma were right behind her, beaming at the young girl. I turned to Owen again feeling a little gloominess form in my heart, "I guess I have to go now. It's getting late, the guys have to perform tonight."

Owen looked a little disappointed. For some reason, that glimmer of disappointment in his eyes uplifted my heart a little. Was he sad to see me go?

"Oh right, Ladies' Night huh? I'm guessing you aren't going?"

I stood up and brushed off the dirt from my pants, "No, my turn is tomorrow. I'll probably go walk around or something. Well, see you around."

I attempted to walk away but felt my hand grabbed and pulled back. I looked back at my hand, which was held tightly by Owen's gloved hand. I felt a bit of dirt and sweat from his glove, but I didn't care. All I thought about was the tingling sensation I felt in my stomach at his sudden move.

I managed a light chuckle, "Well, you're bold."

"I make a point to be frank, Rose," Owen said at me with a smile on his face. He stood up, "If you need anything, I just want to let you know that you can come to me. You know where to find me, okay? Plus, I think Chlo would like to see you again. I-," he scratched the back of his neck and laughed nervously, "I would like to see you again too."

"You would?" I really hoped he didn't notice the hint of hope in my question.

He nodded, "Sure would! It's great to meet new good friends!"

All the giddiness in my heart disappeared. I almost could have heard the rip in my heart. My smile immediately fell. Is this what people call… being friend zoned?

I struggled to maintain my smile, "Oh… it's uh, nice to have a good friend like you. Well uh, goodbye then." I took my hand away from him and turned to walk away.

_If only it was that easy in real life._

I bumped into Alma and Joyce who both immediately grabbed me by my arms and dragged me back to Owen. I was in too much disbelief to bother fighting back.

I felt myself turned around and again I met Owen face to face again. He looked surprised and I shrugged at him.

_Sorry bud, my cousins are merciless people._

"Oh Rosie, is this the guy Marina was talking about last night?" Alma gushed. She stared at him with her big brown eyes.

_Marina did what?_

I shook them off of me, "How should I know? She talks about a lot of guys…"

Joyce shook her head and looked at Owen, "No no, can't miss this one. Tall, built and handsome? No other guy matched that description!" She held out her hand to Owen and winked, "Hi, I'm Joyce. I'm a classically trained ballerina."

Owen blinked, "Oh hey! I'm Owen, I'm a miner." He smiled politely at her.

Alma rushed over and bumped Joyce out of her way, "A miner? That's why you're so strong! I'm single, I mean I'm Alma." She shook his hand and smiled sweetly at him.

I stared at the hot mess in front me and contemplated helping him. I pursed my lips as I was in deep thought. An acquaintance would help him, right? And a friend would let him talk to really pretty girls who obviously were fascinated in him… right? But a good friend would let him suffer at the hands of two ravenous, hormonal girls for payback and just for fun. That's what good friends do to each other. And didn't he say I was a good friend?

I tossed all of my copper hair to the side and ran my fingers through my hair as I turned to walk away.

_And Rose, you are one hell of a friend._

I heard my name being called but I kept walking anyway.

Again, don't judge me.

XXXXXXXXXX

I sat in a table back at the inn with Mama after I got back from the Garmon Mine district. We were going over routines the girls had signed up for tomorrow night. Mama did all the talking, and I just listened. For some reason, I just didn't have the heart to talk today. I still felt a little bothered, and annoyed, from what happened earlier today.

_"Rose…Rose…**ROSE**."_

My head snapped back only to meet Mama's furious glare. I winced, "Oh sorry about that, Mama. I was thinking of something."

Mama snapped, "Well get your mind out of that something and pay attention. We're discussing your performance for Gents' Night. What did you sign up for?"

I shook my head, "I don't know, I think I agreed to do nothing but background dancing. Just to draw more attention to the girls, you know. I'll probably just be with the audience, making sure that everything goes smoothly." Occasionally I had to supervise performances whenever Mama wasn't there. Gents' Night was just for men so Mama wouldn't be going, so I had to also take her place. Personally, I thought she bailed out because it made her uncomfortable to see us dance in front of men.

I was still a little dazed but I sharpened myself up so Mama wouldn't notice I was troubled. Mama shook her head and continued, "We have a proposition. One of the men in town is engaged and asked me if we would be willing to allow him to have his bachelor's party at Gents' Night. The deputy mayor delivered the contracts this morning-"

I looked up at her with sudden interest, "The deputy mayor? You mean Gill?"

"Yes the blond haired kid. What of it?"

I smiled, "Nothing Mama."

Hopefully Mama didn't intimidate Gill too much. Although with the way he carried himself, I wondered if he actually could handle a tough businesswoman like Victoria Miranda. Wait, contracts?

"Mama what contracts? What for?" I asked quickly.

Mama kept looking at her paperwork, "Oh you know, contracts agreeing to allow the bachelor party to be moved here. The extra fees that comes with that and all. How many men in attendance, and general rules like no touching the performers blah blah blah. Nothing new. Oh and one more thing," she casually added, "they hired you."

"Hired me?! For what? I'm already hired!" I almost yelled.

_I don't like the sound of this at all!_

Mama nonchalantly responded, "The bachelor gets a special dance, didn't you know that? Apparently some of the men recommended you. I suggest you go pick a song and practice." With that, she picked up some of her paperwork and retreated to her room, leaving me stunned.

I wanted to scream. How could she agree without my consent? Isn't this exploitation or something? I massaged my temples trying to reason what just happened. After calming down a bit, I realized that I shouldn't get so mad. It is work, plus I don't have to go all out if I was allowed to pick my own song and dance routine. Besides, I doubt Owen would come. I never mentioned Gents' Night anyway.

The doors of the inn then opened and in walked Maya with a large grin on her face. "Hiya, Rosie! I got something for you, special delivery!" She handed me a small envelope.

I looked at it but didn't take it. I was too stunned, and a little scared.

Maya shook the envelope at me, "Well go ahead, it won't hurt to read hehe!"

"I'm afraid it will, Maya."

Maya put her hands on her hips, "Now why would it, Missy?"

I tapped my fingers on the table and leaned back on my chair, "I've just been getting bad news today that's why."

"Aw, don't worry! This isn't bad news, it's from Owen! Does that cheer you up?" Maya giggled, "Oh don't worry, Marina told me. I won't tell though! It's cuteeee!"

I stared at her in horror. _No no no, this can't be happening to me right now!_

"Oh sweetie, you are even too surprised to respond! Oh how romantic!" She sighed and put her hands on her chest, "Well here, take it! He asked me to take it to you personally. When I asked if he wanted to send your cousins instead he said he had enough of them for today hehe. Can't blame him, those two were all over-"

I held up my hands, "I get it, Maya. I'll take it now. Thank you." I managed a weak smile at her as I took the envelope from her. She smiled and skipped away to welcome two more customers that just entered. I got up from my chair and walked outside as I opened up the envelope with shaky hands.

I stood outside the inn and took a deep breath before I began to read:

_Dear Rose,_

_Sorry that I couldn't get the chance to say bye. I wasn't sure if I would see you before you left back home but your cousins were nice enough to mention that you actually have a Gents' Night tomorrow. They said it would be mostly them dancing but I don't mind, it would be nice to hang out with you before you leave. We could watch them together if you'd like. The drinks are on me; the cocktails at the Brass Bar are the best!_

_See you there!_

_Owen_

I slowly slid to the floor and leaned back against the wall of the inn, disbelief clouding my eyes.

Owen tells me that he just sees me as a friend: fine.

Mama tells me I have to perform a special dance at a bachelor party: fine.

But Owen seeing me perform at a bachelor party?

NOT FINE.

_Joyce, Alma…. what have you done?_


	9. Matchmaker

**Author's Note: I had a little bit of a writer's block but I ended up writing not one, but two chapters! I hope you like them:) as always, feel free to review or PM me with comments, suggestions, or critique!**

**I hope to hear from you soon! Enjoy!**

"You know what I think?" Marina casually said as she sewed beads into her new top, "I think they hired you because of your figure."

We both were sitting on the floor of our room. I was hardly paying attention after receiving Owen's letter; my mind was too preoccupied with scheming a plan that would prevent him from ever coming to Gents' Night. I barely heard Marina's last bit, "Huh? What do you mean?"

Marina shrugged and looked up, "Because you have a butt."

I stifled a laugh and looked away, "You would too if you had to learn hip hop instead of belly dancing. There's a lot of squatting involved, you'd be surprised. You have nice curves and a strong core."

She waved my compliment away, "You got killer curves though. You're perfectly proportioned. I mean I might be good waist up, but not waist down. Hm, if only you showed off your bosom a bit more… Then I would question why you aren't a model."

I looked up at her, "Marina, you're 5"8 and a gorgeous woman. I'm a garden gnome compared to you. Besides, " I muttered, "all Latin women have curves."

I was always self-conscious of my figure. I always wanted to look like the really slim models I would see on billboards in cities. But I was too small and I had wide hips. Finding pants that fit were a nightmare. I could pass them through my legs but once I got to my hips, it was a struggle to get it over my butt. Mama would say that we should embrace our curves since it's part of our exotic culture, but I eventually learned to not care about how my body looked. Who would look at me when you have a drop- dead gorgeous sister?

"Why are you being so nice to me anyway?"

Marina looked at me sympathetically, "I figured you would be too scared to dance for those men alone tomorrow. I just wanted you to know that you had amazing assets so you would regain some confidence back." She reached out and stroked my arm.

"It's business, Marina. It is what it is. I just have to go out and pretend that I like what I'm doing. Besides I'll just take out my contacts so I won't be able to see the crowd."

Marina stayed quiet for a bit before a smile slowly started to form in her face, "Hey, on the bright side, it might make Owen go completely crazy for you. If he likes you already, he probably is taking it easy to not scare you away since you've been so shy around him. But if he sees you dance like a seductive temptress, then maybe-"

I held up my hands, "I get the picture." I really did not want to talk about tomorrow's performance. At all.

"Why don't you sound excited? You usually turn a little red every time I mention Owen's name."

My eyes opened wide, "I do? Never noticed. Well don't worry, I got that under control now." I began to fiddle with a lock of my hair, hoping to end this conversation now before she probed any further.

_But life never works that way._

Marina stopped sewing and scooted herself in front of me, "Rose, did something happen between you two?"

"No, we're just friends that's all." I let out a soft sigh and whispered, "Good friends, apparently.

She leaned in and looked at me carefully with a serious look in her face. Her brown eyes pierced through mine and I couldn't help but look away. I hate how intuitive she could be, I really prefer to keep my thoughts private but with a sister like her, it was damn near impossible.

A smile formed on her heart- shaped face, "Ah I see what's going on. You're disappointed. And dare I go a step further, I would say you're also conflicted." She leaned back and clapped her hands together, "You like him!"

I looked at her pointedly. "To be quite blunt with you, I'm not completely sure what's wrong with me. I don't know how to process uh, feelings. It's just never been something important to me. You guys are the only important thing to me. This business is all I've done my whole life; I even went to college to get a degree to help our business and give us more credibility. Marina, I've never had to talk to a guy. You think I would know how it feels like to talk to one?" I leaned against the wall and took out my lighter, flickering it on and off. It was somewhat nice to be able to purge all my thoughts and share them with Marina, but at the same time I hated how vulnerable I felt. This is why I usually kept to myself.

Marina stayed in her place and stared at me for a bit before she spoke, "Yeah I know you've always been like that. You have taken good care of us all these years after dad ran away, we all know that. When you were little you always wanted to be a lawyer but when you grew up you decided to major in something else just to help us more. While we were out playing or exploring the places we visited, you stayed back with Mama up to your knees in paperwork. You missed out on a lot just to work. But you never complained. Because of us," she bowed her head, "you even missed out on an opportunity to settle down with someone, have a kid or two, and have your own career."

I kept flickering my lighter, "And I don't regret a thing, Nina. Anything I do is for you guys." I smiled, "I'm just glad you guys haven't taken it for granted."

I laughed a bit hoping that it would lighten the mood, but all I got was a sad look in Marina's face. She spoke, "You do that a lot, you know. When we got scared or down or anything, you always knew the right thing to say. We got to feel better while you took care of everything. Man, maybe it's because of us you are so stressed all the time…." Her face almost instantly lit up, "But wait! I know how we can make it up to you!"

I stopped messing with my lighter and frowned at her, "If you're gonna pay me, let me just remind you I get paid more than you so there's no use."

Marina's jaw dropped, "You do?!"

"You just dance but I also happen to be Mama's executive assistant, didn't you know?"

Marina waved her hands at me, "I just know that you're the second boss, I don't bother with legal terms. Anyway, we can help you get Owen! Take that as payment for all your years of selfless work." She grinned triumphantly and jumped up in excitement, her dark locks bouncing gently.

It was truly a sweet gesture from her, but I knew that something like that was no trivial thing. "Honey," I said gently, "I really do appreciate the thought but the human heart is a bit more complicated than that. One thing about feelings is that people shouldn't mess with those. Besides, what's the point? We're leaving after Medley Night anyway." I felt my heart drop; I honestly didn't feel like I was ready to go. For other stronger reasons, I felt like I belonged here. But what those reasons were, I did not know.

Marina's smile fell and she looked like she was on the brink of tears, "I liked it here. I really did. I usually feel ready to leave to a new destination but…" she looked down at her feet, "I don't want to."

I walked over to her and hugged her, "It's Luke, isn't it?"

She sniffed a bit so I stroked her raven hair and quickly said, "Let's have none of that now. I'll go talk to Luke and see if he can come see you before we leave. Just let me do all the talking and you try to calm down. You can't have puffy eyes when he comes to see you, you know. I know he'll be at the carpenter's since only girls are coming to tonight's performance. So stay put and relax a bit, okay? We may leave soon but at least you'll have good memories to take with you."

I stood up and walked to the door but Marina's soft voice stopped me, "See? You don't even let us cry or suffer, you just take it as your own burden and deal with it yourself."

I felt my face heat up in embarrassment. I scratched my neck, "Well strong emotions like that would effect your performance so we can't let that happen."

"Why can't you let someone take your burdens and help you?"

_What's gotten into Marina today? This is so unlike her to be emotional and inquisitive? Must be her period or something…._

I turned back at her and smiled reassuringly, "I don't have any."

She shook her head in disagreement, "Yes you do. But you never open up. It's not your fault; Mama conditioned you to be like that once she decided you would take over her company one day. But it's okay to open up, Rosie. It's okay to let me help you with Owen." She stood up and wiped a tear from her eye, "You're helping me with Luke, I can help you with Owen!"

My smile began to tighten at seeing my own sister so vulnerable like this; I just wanted to tell her that everything would be okay and that everyone gets happy endings. Anything to make her feel better. But it didn't feel fair to give her false hope, it wouldn't be right. As embarrassing as it was, I admitted to her the one thing that was tormenting my mind all day.

"I can help you because both you and Luke have feelings for each other. But you can't help me because in my case, only one person has feelings. Understand?"

Her jaw dropped and she put a hand over her mouth, "Rose, do you-"

I smiled and cut her off, "I'll be back soon, Nina."

XXXXXXXXXX

As I made my way to the Garmon Mine district, I reflected on my conversation with Marina today. Sigh, it was so unlike her to be so emotional and to bring up Dad. Dad…. I felt a bit of anger boil in my heart so I stopped myself from thinking about him immediately. I was good at that, to numb unwanted thoughts and not think about anything that would distract me. But I still felt a bit of anger.

Feelings. I was never good at that, though. I was never good at making sense or controlling my feelings.

The thought of Marina soon diluted that anger. To see my older sister break down like that and show how much she cared for me made me feel strange. I think I felt happy. Her willingness to help me only made me more determined to help her with Luke. No thoughts of Owen are going to bother me anymore; that will not get in the way of my sister's happiness.

I glanced at my watch; it was already 8:35 pm. Ladies' Night must've started about an hour and a half ago. I wonder how the guys are doing? I hope Diego is feeling better after puking up the cookies Maya made for him….

It was getting darker, but I didn't mind. The mine cart finally made its way to the Garmon Mine district and I hopped off. I assumed that Owen would already be home with his family so I didn't feel anxious about running into him. I walked over to the carpenter's and knocked. After a few seconds, the door opened and there stood a tall man with a blue mustache. He must've been in his early to mid fifties at least.

He looked down at me in surprise, "Oh, hello. How can I help you?"

My mouth dropped, "You have a blue mustache! I knew I saw a blue mustache!" My hands flew to my mouth.

_NO YOU DID NOT JUST DO THAT ROSE…_

The tall man just raised an eyebrow and looked confused, "Uh, I beg your pardon?"

I quickly shook my head and meekly muttered, "Oh nothing, it's just a bad habit." I made myself look at him again and cleared my throat a bit, "I'm here to speak to Luke. Is he here?"

His eyes widened but then I saw a grin form, "Are you Marina? He's talked about you quite a bit." He chuckled heartily, "I could have sworn he said you were uh… a bit taller."

I pretended not to hear that.

"No sir," I smiled politely, "Marina is my sister. My name is Rose." I extended my hand.

He shook it. "Oh, my apologies! Rose, eh?" He looked deep in thought, "Then you must be the girl Luke's best friend was talking about. And you are a pretty little thing! Just a moment- LUKE! GET YER LAZY BUM DOWN HERE!"

"Wait! Who was talking ab-" I was cut short when I saw the young blue- haired boy come out the door. I watched hopelessly as the tall man walked back into his house, much to my dismay.

_Who was talking about me?! You can't just say that and walk away without telling me!_

"Hey, I remember you! You're that one dancer chick!"

My eyes quickly turned to Luke who looked excited to see me. I raised an eyebrow, "Dancer… chick? I'm not poultry-"

"You're pretty good! Nice voice too. Marina said she can't sing but man, " he put a hand to his heart and looked at the night sky dreamily, "her voice just drives me crazy! I could hear her talk all day!"

"Heh, you don't say…. Try living with her." I was joking of course, but I didn't know what else to say to someone who looked so… lovestruck. I usually resort to dry humor when I am at a loss of words.

_Rose, you're here for Marina!_

I regained my composure and smiled at Luke, "Luke, I'm here on Marina's behalf actually. My name is Rose, and Marina just happens to be my sister."

Luke blinked and looked stunned for a minute, "Wait I remember now. So if you're her sister, that means…" His eyes nearly popped out of his head. "Whoa, sorry about my rant, ma'am! Won't happen again, Miss Rose."

I cocked my head, "Why are you referring to me as that?"

Luke scratched his head, "Oh because the mayor said you and your mom were uh, people of importance. And Marina said you were like her boss or something, ma'am."

I groaned. I hated being called "Miss" or "Ma'am", especially by people around my age.

I put my hand on his shoulder, "I prefer Rose. I don't care for the formalities either so no ma'am, please. Just treat me like any other person, I would be happy if you did." I smiled to reassure him.

He grinned and pumped a fist in the air, "I knew you would be cool! I told my best bud that too; I even convinced him to come see you!" Luke looked proud of himself.

I sighed, I remembered that all too well. That conversation Owen and I had the first time we met; it was Luke he referred to as his best bud too. I almost forgot.

'"It's Owen you're talking about, isn't it?" I softly asked.

Luke nodded and smiled, "Yeah, that's my homie!"

"Ah. Well thank you for the compliment, Luke. Now back to business. My sister and our family have to leave in a few days, as you know. And I came to ask you if you would like to spend some time with her before she left. I could help of course." I waited for his response.

He looked as if he lost his ability to speak. "I-I… c-can't b-believe…this is s-s-so…. AWESOME!" He jumped and pumped his fist in the air and yelled in ecstasy. I just stood there watching him, perplexed. For once I didn't think how unprofessional someone like him was acting, I thought about how amazing it was for someone to be so happy to see someone else. I smiled happily.

"When can I see her, Rose? When?" he looked at me like a little puppy, which surprised me. I struggled to find my voice, "Uh, well for starters you can ask her for a walk tomorrow and come to Gents' Night. Then ask her to dance with you the next day at Medley Night. That's when the dancers dance with everyone in the island, so it's a good opportunity for you."

I looked at my watch. 9:00 pm.

"I have to go now. If you need help, you can reach me at the Ocarina Inn. One more thing," I leaned in, "take good care of my sister. You seem like a really sweet guy so I won't threaten you; I think I can trust you. Just make her happy so she has good memories with her before we leave. Well, have a good night."

I always liked to keep things brief, it's just always been my style. I turned to walk away, expecting our conversation to be over. But I heard Luke yell, "Wait Rose! Wait!"

_What could he want? _"Yes?" I asked a little impatiently.

Luke smiled and bowed, "Thank you. For everything. You're a sweet gal. You're tough, no doubt. But you're a real gem on the inside." He thought for a bit, "Like a Wonderful!"

I stared at him, "I think you're using that adjective wrong…."

He laughed and shook his head, "No no no, a verb! Let me explain." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a pretty blue rock. I walked over and stared at it for a bit. It was a little dusty but it glittered underneath all the dust. There were a few jagged edges here and there, but it was overall a very pretty rock. But it was still a rock…

I looked up at him questioningly, "You're comparing me to a rock?"

"No this, this is a Wonderful! We get them from the mine! Well we don't, Owen does. He's the only miner we have haha. I'm just a carpenter." The mention of his name made my thoughts scramble a bit.

I quickly asked, "And uh, what's a Wonderful exactly? Because it doesn't look like a mineral or gem of sorts."

He smiled slyly, "You're smart. But a Wonderful actually can be refined to one of two things. Glass, which is relatively useless unless you want to make jewelry for a kid or something. Or it can be refined to…" he stopped as he pulled a beautiful blue stone out of his other pocket. I looked at it closely and gasped. It was a sapphire.

Luke finished, "A gem. That's why I think you're like a Wonderful." He stared at the sapphire in his hands and solemnly said, "I asked Owen to find a gem for me to give to Marina. Specifically a sapphire. Her name reminds me of the ocean."

I found myself slowly form a sweet smile at him. "Marina is Spanish for marine. She was born on the coast of Spain."

He looked up and nodded, "I know, because she told me. I haven't forgotten. And now that you came to me for Marina, I feel more encouraged to give her this! Thank you so much, you are so awesome!"

To my surprise, he gave me a huge bear hug. I gasped for air but nevertheless laughed, happy that he felt so strongly towards my sister. Once he set me down, I smiled at him and bowed.

"You're welcome. I think it's sweet of Owen to go through all that trouble. Thank you for caring for her that much. Good night."

"Hold on Rose, I'm not done." Luke said quickly.

"You're not going to tell me that I'm like another rock found in the mines, right?"

Luke chuckled, "You're funny, but you're half right. You're not like another rock, you're like Owen."

My smile fell a bit, "Excuse me?"

He continued, oblivious to my discomfort, "He's like the big brother all of us never had. And he's not even the oldest or anything, but he's the strongest and the nicest. You're like that too. Except," he chuckled, "you're much tougher than he is."

"I doubt it, I'm not a miner."

Luke smiled kindly at me and shook his head, "No not like that. You know how to handle business like a boss, and you can be intimidating when you wanna be. Owen is too much of a nice guy, but if someone messes with you, I can see you ready to snap their legs! No, it's not a bad thing. You do it because you're taking care of your family. It's like… you both compliment each other." He said the last part as though he discovered a new element on the periodic table.

I laughed nervously, "I doubt that too. We're just friends."

"Isn't that how it's supposed to start off?"

_I didn't think about that. Why is everyone pointing out things I can't see? Are they even right?_

I scratched the back of my neck, "Well Luke, I can tell you one thing. You certainly seem to compliment my sister. Both of you are quite… intuitive. Actually…" I looked down at my hands, "could you do me a favor, Luke?"

He nodded and pumped a fist into the air, "After all you've done? Anything!"

I leaned in, "But promise you won't tell anybody."

XXXXXXXXX

We said our goodnights and I retreated back to the inn. Everyone else was out, probably at Ladies' Night. When Maya came back, she asked me to sleepover her room so I wouldn't be alone, and I actually agreed. She spent the rest of the evening gushing about Diego, which I found rather interesting. I listened like a good friend, and answered any questions she had about him. How he was like, what he liked, what he was scared of, and so on. After hours of laughs and talking, we went to sleep. But that night was no less restless than the last.


	10. Tension

I woke up the next morning in a gloomy mood. _Today was the day…. Performance day._

However I quickly remembered last night and the favor I asked of Luke, so I started to feel a bit better. I got up and quickly got dressed, careful to not wake up Maya. I put on hiking boots, jean shorts, and a plaid shirt that I tied into a knot at the ends. After greeting Yolanda and the innkeepers 'good morning', I walked out of the inn and stretched as soon as I stepped outside.

The sun was barely rising, and the sky was tinted pink and blue. I took the opportunity to walk around the town, taking in every detail. I noticed a trail by the camera shop that led to a large open field so I decided to follow the trail. Today I didn't care if I got in trouble with Mama for wandering off; after what I was going to do tonight, I think I'm allowed some time to myself.

After following the trail for a while, I found myself at a run down farm. The barn and the coop looked like they were about to fall apart, and the house looked like the weather has really worn it down. There were holes in the roof, piles of wood everywhere, and badly in need of a paint job. There was a large plot of land in front of it covered with weeds and stones of all sizes.

_Why is this place deserted?_

I walked over to the house and knocked. No answer. I looked inside the barn and coop. Nothing inside.

I made my way to the plot of land, bent down, and started to dig into the ground with my hands. When I was deep enough, I scooped up a handful of dirt and carefully inspected it.

_Dark soil. _

I was rather confused. The soil here was pretty good so why was no one living here?

With a few upgrades this place could look quite amazing. I took a step back and carefully made some calculations in my head. The cost to repair this entire farm would be pricey, hundreds of thousands of pieces of gold without a doubt. But with the quality of the soil, you could plant one crop and get three times its worth when it's harvested. You could also plant good quality grass to breed healthy livestock and poultry. If you work everyday for year here, you could make approximately 500,000 G. Maybe more if you also foraged…

"Well howdy, Ma'am. Beautiful morning, isn't it?"

I jumped in surprise and saw Calvin standing behind me, who tipped his hat at me. I laughed in embarrassment, "Oh, hello. You surprised me."

"My apologies," he said gallantly. He walked up to me and glanced at the farm, "What is a young lady doing in a place like this?"

I scratched my neck, "I uh… was figuring out how much it would cost to renovate this place."

"Including the barn and coop?"

"Well, yeah." I admitted.

He looked at me in astonishment, "And you figured it out?"

"More or less, but I think I have a good idea. I have a degree in finance."

"You interested in buying or something?"

I looked down at the ground, "I can't. I'm leaving in two days."

_Sigh, don't remind me…._

"Ah, didn't know that." His voice didn't contain the same excitement it had anymore. He scratched his chin, "Silly me, here I was getting excited that I would be having a new neighbor. A beautiful one, I may add."

I felt flustered, I didn't know how someone could say things so boldly. I can't talk to people like that, how does he do it? Does he really think I'm beautiful?

He leaned down and set his eyes on me, which startled me. I noticed that he had dark blue eyes. "Did I say something bad, ma'am?"

I shook my head and stammered out, "No no no, not at all. Thank you, that's v-very sweet of you." I bowed politely.

"You don't take compliments well, I can see that." Calvin straightened up and slyly said, "It's alright, you can make it up to me by letting me show you around. I'm on my way to work so I would be delighted so have your company."

_This is slightly strange, but it wouldn't hurt to have someone to talk to. It might keep my mind occupied in the meantime._

I smiled, "Alright. Lead the way."

XXXXXXXXXX

Calvin mostly talked as we walked, and I just listened. He was not only an explorer and traveler, he was actually an archeologist as well. And a talented one, at that. He knew all sorts of history including ancient artifacts, ancient tribes, rituals, and worldly cultures. I shared with him stories of tribes I've seen on our travels, which really fascinated him. It was nice to talk to someone about things we've both experienced.

"Well here we are. I wish our conversation could have lasted longer, I was really having a good time."

I looked around in surprise as I noticed where we were, "Oh, I didn't realize you worked in the mine. I thought only the miner worked there." I tried hard to look casual about it.

Calvin shrugged, "That miner? All he does is smash rocks. I actually go to the lower levels to decipher ancient scripts written on the stone walls there. Perhaps you could join me sometime." He smiled at me as he took my hand. I felt tension begin to built up in my chest, a strange kind of anxiety. But I didn't say anything. I didn't know what to make out of what was happening right now.

"I do more than smash rocks, you know," said an annoyed voice from behind Calvin.

I didn't even have to look over Calvin's shoulder to know that it was coming from Owen. I just looked at the ground and waited for Calvin let go of my hand. But he didn't.

I heard Calvin speak up, "Fine. Pulverize rocks. Pound rocks. Push rocks. Whatever." Calvin turned his gaze on me, "I hope to see you again, Rose."

To make the situation much more awkward, he leaned and kissed my hand as he kept his eyes on me. My mouth opened but no words came out, only a gasp. He looked satisfied and walked away, leaving Owen and me outside of the mine. Alone.

I didn't even look at Owen, I refused to. This situation left me feeling really flustered and a little confused. And I really didn't have time to deal with this right now. I kept my eyes on the ground as I turned to walk away.

_Again, life doesn't work that way._

"Hey! Don't walk away from me!" I heard him call out.

_Was he mad at me? _

I didn't care, I forced myself to keep walking. But I didn't get far because next thing I knew, Owen ran over and placed himself in front of me. He put his hands on my shoulders and kept me in place when I tried to walk around him. I still kept my eyes away from his and looked down.

"I don't think I want to know what you were doing with a playboy like Calvin, but I do want to know why you're trying so hard to avoid me."

I casually responded, "I'm not avoiding you, Owen. You're everywhere anyway."

Situations like these always forced me to act with indifference. Situations that threatened to expose my thoughts or feelings. And my thoughts and feelings were all over the place right now. I let my hair fall to my face, hoping he wouldn't see me.

"I meant, why did you tell Luke to convince me not to go to Gents' Night?" he said with an angry and hurt timbre in his voice.

I looked up at him in shock, "How do you know that?! He promised!" I pushed his arms off of me, although I felt butterflies form in my stomach as soon as I touched him.

Owen rolled his grey eyes, "Rose you don't know Luke that well. He can't keep secrets, he's too honest!"

_Goddammit Luke, I will destroy everything you love…._

Owen crossed his muscular arms and demanded, "Well? Why? Were you lying when you said that you didn't dislike me? I thought we were friends."

I stared at him blankly, "We are friends."

He shook his head, "There's something up. You don't act like this normally; you're not this apathetic. What are you not telling me, Rose?"

_What makes you think you know me?_

I stayed quiet, only to have him look more anxious. He lowered his voice more and gently asked, "Please tell me. Why don't you want to see me?"

The sadness in his grey eyes was breaking my tough act apart. I wanted him to back off and be intimidated but that didn't seem to work. No matter how cold I tried to be, this guy was completely immune to it from the day we met. And I could not keep those barriers up for long, no matter how hard I tried. I found myself feeling guilty for making him feel so bad, I almost felt like I had to… take care him like I took care of the rest of my family.

_I'm gonna hate myself for this, I know it already…._

"Rose, please tell me what's wrong. Remember that I told you that I'm here for you." He placed his hand on my shoulder and smiled gently at me.

_Butterflies_.

I took a deep breath and sighed.

"Listen, I'm just going to be clear with you on one thing. I don't dislike you Owen, in fact I think you're the nicest guy I have ever met. I still don't understand why you're so nice to me but… for some reason, I find myself caring about what you think." I looked up and saw a smile form on his chiseled face, "But I asked Luke to tell you not to come because I'll be performing tonight. And it's a rather… provocative dance."

"Rose, " Owen said with exasperation, "I don't care about that, I just want to go and show my support! That's what friends do."

That word has become like poison to me; every time I hear it, I feel my mood go down. I struggled to not show it.

"It's not that, Owen there's a bachelor party tonight."

"I know, I was invited. We all were."

"Well it's going to be at Gents' Night. And they hired me to perform a special dance for the soon to be groom…. Get it?" I looked at Owen sadly, hoping he got the hint.

I think he did.

"Oh. I think I get what you mean."

By the way his face fell, I assumed that meant he was probably disappointed. I wouldn't be surprised if he felt repulsed too.

I crossed my arms and looked at him, "I like keeping things brief, so I have to go now. I have to get ready. I'm sorry, but please don't come. I don't want you to see the things I have to do." And with that I quickly ran off.

But this time, I didn't hear him calling after me.

XXXXXXXXXX

_6:30. Thirty minutes till showtime._

I had no idea how I was going to be able to perform well tonight with all these troubled thoughts in my head. My heart seemed get heavier and heavier as I approached the bar. Or was it getting heavier because I was getting further from Owen in the process? I shook the thought out of my head and kept my eyes firmly on the ground.

As I made a turn to the street that led to the bar, something caught my attention.

Yelling. Lots of yelling.

I looked up and saw a small group of girls arguing amongst themselves in front of the Brass Bar. I saw some of my cousins holding Marina back, who looked livid with rage. They seemed to be holding her back from another girl, but I couldn't tell who it was. I got annoyed, these girls were disturbing the peace and could get us fired for that. I marched over and yelled, "What is the meaning of this?!"

The yelling stopped as the girls looked at me. Some of my cousins looked terrified and stepped back but the ones holding Marina refused to let go.

I put my hands on my hips, "Let her go."

Rosalinda whimpered, "I don't think we should Rosie, or these two will start clawing at each other again!"

I raised an eyebrow, "Who's the other person?"

A pretty girl walked past them and made her way towards me. She stopped between them and I then snarled at me, "So you're Rose. To be quite honest, I'm not that impressed." She let out a sarcastic laugh, "I thought that silly faux of a belly dancer was the lead dancer!" I saw Marina struggle as the girls tightened the grip on her arms, her olive toned face tinted with red from anger.

I looked at the smug woman from head to toe. Her clothes looked similar to Marina's…

"You're a belly dancer too, aren't you?"

She rolled her red eyes, "I think that's pretty obvious. Way to go, Sherlock."

The tone of my voice dangerously lowered, "For your sake, I will pretend I didn't hear that. Who are you and why are you bothering my dancers?"

The girl flipped her dark, red hair and spat out, "I should be asking you the same thi-!"

I snapped back, "Don't waste my time and answer my questions. You either answer to me right now, or you answer to the mayor. Take your pick."

I really was not in any mood to be cordial, so I had to resort to my businesswoman stance. I honestly hated resorting to such severe behavior but this woman looked like trouble. My job was to handle trouble.

"The name is Selena and the ones in trouble should be you! Who do you think you bitches are to come to this island and take my job away from me?! I'm the only dancer on this island! You're going to pay for this, you cunt!"

I waved my finger at her, "Cuss at me one more time and I'll have to perform a citizen's arrest on you."

"What the hell are you talking about?!" She stomped her foot on the ground, making the little bells around her waist jingle violently.

She sure had a lot of guts to talk to me like that, but she probably didn't know who I was. I continued anyway, "Well let's see, disturbing the peace, assaulting an employee of the mayor, and provoking the executive that these young ladies work for… I think that should be enough to get you in pretty deep trouble with the law."

"Rose," Adilene whispered from the back, "I think the law works differently here. They don't even have jails."

I pointed at her, "Very true. However it's not your job to look up the places we have to travel to, Adilene. That's my job. And it wasn't too hard to understand the customs on Castanet." I looked at Selena who formed a smug smile on her face. I restrained myself from smacking that smirk off her face.

_If you want to play this game, you're playing it with the wrong person._

I continued, "No one gets arrested because this is a relatively peaceful town. But in the event that someone like her," I looked pointedly at Selena, "goes out of hand and endangers someone, one has the power to perform a citizen's arrest. You would be held at the town hall, and it would be up to the deputy mayor to decide your fate. Then he runs his decision with the mayor, who can either agree or disagree. In this case, " I took a step towards Selena and looked at her right in the face. "I can say the mayor would agree to deport you back to your place of birth."

Selena pushed me back violently, but I caught myself from falling. I heard gasps and infuriated screams from some the girls and this time Rosalinda tried to lunge herself at Selena, but Adilene kept her back.

"Don't come at my cousin like that, you slut bucket!"

Selena ignored her and kept her eyes on me, "How would he listen to a pathetic dancer like you? He only listens to Madame Victoria, why would he care about what a useless performer would say?" She laughed.

I pretended to look innocent and shrugged, "Because I'm Madame Victoria's daughter."

I saw Selena's smirk fall and she looked mortified. A few girls giggled from the back and I heard Marina yell out, "Ooooh she got you now, bitch."

Selena struggled to come up with something to say for a bit before she spoke again, "Even if that's true, you still can't decide to just deport me! I've been working here longer than you pathetic bunch!"

I crossed my arms and pretended to be deep in thought. For some reason, I found myself enjoying this. Don't judge me, it's better than getting physical. I prefer verbal jousting. Also part of my style. I don't fight, I talk.

"Ah, well you see, a part of my job is to not only do background research on the island but all its inhabitants as well."

Selena narrowed her eyes. I saw a hint of worry in her eyes."What the hell are you saying?"

I smiled at her, "I take good care of my girls. I want to make sure no one dangerous is around them. I did my research on everyone before coming across a portfolio of a dancer named Selena. That's you, isn't it? Apparently, you came to this island illegally. You stowed away on Pascal's boat one day, didn't you? You didn't buy a ticket to come to this island. You're a runaway. Did your employers know that?"

I heard more gasps and whispers come from the girls, and Selena's face tightened. She clenched her fists, "I had permission. My parents agreed to it eventually."

"Ah, that may be. But you still lied. And to make matters worse, when you left you still were a minor. In which case you should have had a written document from your parents relinquishing you into the care of your employers. Which you didn't have." I tossed all of my hair to my left shoulder and put a finger on my chin, "I'm also guessing you didn't tell your employers that."

I saw her face turn red in anger, "What are you trying to say already?!"

I looked at her blankly, "I can get you fired for false pretenses."

There was silence as she stared at me, probably contemplating killing me or something. I stood in my place, not letting her intimidate me. I was more amused if anything.

Selena's body was shaking at bit. I saw veins pop out of her forehead as she hissed, "You think you're such a great dancer, don't you? Well you're not. Because you're not bold, you're not afraid to be dangerous! To be sensual! And until you learn how to let go and embrace your femininity, you will NEVER be as great of a dancer as me! And another thing, " she took a step towards me with a devilish grin, "you think Owen could ever prefer such an uptight bitch? I have always been his first love, so don't think that you could ever win him over with that goody-two shoes façade of yours!"

She raised a hand to slap me but I caught her wrist and twisted it. Selena let out a pained cry and tried to pry me off. I shoved her off and she bent over in pain as she gripped her wrist.

"I told you not to cuss at me," I said quietly.

XXXXXXXXXX

It was 6:50 and we only had ten minutes before the show started. I was nowhere near ready. I walked in the Brass Bar to get ready and searched through the props. It didn't help my nerves that the girls were rambling in excitement about what happened moments before as they put on their costumes. I didn't feel that great about it. I didn't mean to hurt Selena that much when I grabbed her wrist, and what she said about Owen was repeating in my head relentlessly.

_Am I really that uptight? Why didn't he mention that he had a girlfriend? Wait… Chloe mentioned that he had an ex. That must be Selena… But why is she acting as if… I'm competition or something? It's over…_

Adilene slapped my back, "Proud of you kid. If I were you, I probably would have dragged her carcass to the ocean until she shut up. There's a reason why you're the boss, and tonight you reminded us why."

Compliments from Adilene were rare, so I smiled at her. "Thanks." She nodded and walked back to the group of excited girls, all getting ready for tonight.

Marina walked over with a frown on her face, "Selena was right though. Rose, sometimes I feel like you're too afraid to be bold."

I kept rummaging through our props and without looking up said, "Go on."

"It's like… you're afraid to be provocative. You have the curves and face for it, like you're really exotic you know? We all are, and we show it off. But you don't show it off, you hold back. I know it's scary but you'll get over it! That's why I do so well Rosie, I'm not afraid to go out there and make a man fall on his knees for me…."

I kept digging for what I was looking for, "I know, Marina."

She sighed, "Selena did make a good point. You're Mama's protégé, you're supposed to follow in her steps. Remember the tales we would hear from her old customers? How she could make someone feel as if it was just her and them alone in the room when she looked at them as she danced? When you were born with violet eyes, she took it as a sign that you were meant to do the same. So when will you Rosie?"

I found what I was looking for and got up, "Tonight."

Marina stopped blabbering, "Wait what… I was hoping you would say next Tuesday or something."

I handed her the box I found, "Can you tell Adam to set this up?"

Marina took the box and looked inside its contents. She looked up and stared at me in horror, "A POLE?!"

I walked over to our wardrobe and started to button down my shirt, "You and Selena did make a valid point, and I agree with you both. Time I proved myself tonight."

My sister ran to me and whispered urgently, "No you can't do this tonight! You can't do it at a bachelors' party!"

I shrugged off my shirt, "Why not? It sounds like a good opportunity to me. Plenty of men around."

Truth be told? I hated to be challenged this way, but Selena's words did provoke me a bit. I realized that I've always been too concerned about exposing myself and messing up my performances, but I have never truly proved myself as Mama's protégé. I have never had the guts to make eye contact with any men and make them fall to their knees like Mama was known to do. That's what made her famous. Her ability to not just lose herself to her dancing, but to make others lose themselves to her. Tonight, I'm going to see if I really can be her protégé. Because the only one that has done what Mama was known for is Marina.

She shook her head in alarm and loudly whispered, "I'm not gonna have my little sister dance like that for with a bunch of strangers!"

I looked for a proper costume, "And you think I'm okay with you doing that? Besides, it's just a performance and you know that. I can't be scared anymore. I'm way too uptight; I have to do what you and Mama do. If I fail, then I'm not meant to be her protégé."

I pulled out a black lacey corset and matching pantyhose. Marina's eyes widened, "Oh my God! You're really doing this!" She put a hand in her mouth and stared at my choice of clothes, horrified.

"Don't worry, it's a whole lot conservative than the outfits you wear. At least most of my legs and stomach will be covered. Have you seen my garter straps?"

Marina grabbed my face and hysterically begged, "I take it back! Stay the way you are, just don't wear this! I'll do the performance for you!"

I shook my head and gently removed her hands from my face, "It's all on contract, Nina. They hired me. Thank you for caring for me, but I have to prove myself to Mama."

I put on my corset and adjusted my garter straps to my black pantyhose. I stood up and zipped up my corset, which pushed my breasts up quite a bit. I had to admit, I wasn't a fan of lace. But I would only have to wear this for half of my three-minute performance. I took a dress shirt and skirt and put them over my lingerie. I walked to the vanity and applied dark eyeshadow over my eyes, and outlined my lips with red lip liner.

My older sister just watched me, not knowing what else to say. I finished applying eyeliner and mascara, and then sat down to put on my black heels.

Without looking up I calmly said, "Do what you're told, Nina."

I heard her get up and slowly walk out. A short time later she came back in.

"Adam isn't happy about it, but he agrees that it was about time you got over your fear. Mama would be pleased… Hey Rose, can I ask you something?"

"Hm."

She hesitated but then asked, "You are not doing this because of what Selena said about Owen… are you?"

I finished putting on my heels and looked at her squarely in the face, "No, I'm not. He's not even going to be here. Does that make you feel better?"

Before she could answer, the door opened and Joyce poked her head in. Her brown eyes widened when she saw me, "Wow, I've never seen you put on such dark makeup on or such red lips. Hehe, you actually look… like Marina!"

I forced a smile, "Is everything ready?" I tied my hair up in a bun.

She nodded in excitement, "Yes! It's packed out here, some guys are even standing! The soon to be groom is in the front, he has white hair so don't forget that. Ooooh I'm so excited! You look gorgeous! Good luck out there, Rose!"

Marina grabbed my arm, "Please don't do this. But if you do, please don't pick what I think you're going to pick…."

I smiled, "Man, it's like you know me."

"ROSE, DON'T-"

"Joyce," I called out, "Tell Adam I'll be performing to Body Party."


	11. Something To Dance For

**Here it is! The much anticipated performance! I had a little bit of a hard time being able to describe the dance sequence but no worries. I'm making up for it by having nothing but OwenXRose scenes in the next chapter for all you that have been anticipating a little romance;)**

**And guess what? I'm positing it today too! Stay tuned! The reviews have been so great that it only makes me more determined to post chapters quickly:) thank you for reviewing and favoriting! Let me know what you think!**

**Enjoy! **

No matter how hard I tried, Marina would not budge from the door that would lead to the stage of the bar. I was slowly starting to lose my patience.

"Nina, I'm just gonna ask you nicely one more time. Please move out the way."

Marina shook her head furiously, her wavy black hair becoming disheveled. "I don't care if you're my boss and if I'll get fired for this, I'm not moving! I'm not letting you do this just to prove a point to a spiteful girl like Selena!"

I crossed my arms, "What do you want me to do then? Back out of my contract?"

"I…I-I don't know! I am just not ready for you to do something so risqué! Especially because of what Selena said!" She pointed an accusing finger at me, "I'm not stupid, I know that you took what Selena said as a challenge. I know you!"

I shrugged, "Well I do remember that you said you agreed with her. Besides, it's not as if I'm doing it for a boy or anything." I lowered my voice, "The only guy I find decent isn't even coming."

Marina's face looked overwhelmed with fear and anxiety. I have honestly never seen my bold sister look so scared before, and that really struck me. She did not look like she was going to let me go, and if I forced myself into that stage, I knew she would sabotage my performance. That was something we could NOT afford. It would be awful for business.

I sighed, "Look Nina, you're right. I do want to prove myself to Selena, but I also want to prove myself to Mama. I'd do anything for this group, but you're more important to me and seeing you like this does not make me feel happy. Unfortunately, I'm still bound by contract. But there are a few loopholes so I can use that to my advantage. So for you," I took off my shirt and skirt, "I won't do the striptease anymore."

Marina swallowed hard, "So… what will you do then?"

I undid my bun and let my hair fall down to my back, "Ever heard of burlesque dancing?"

Her brown eyes widened, "Whoa, do you have any experience? We don't do burlesque!"

"I'll wing it. I'll just pretend what I'm doing. I've seen some of Mama's old videos back when she started out as a burlesque dancer. I could just say I was paying homage to her."

It's true. Mama first did some vaudeville shows as a burlesque dancer back when she first started her dancing career.

My older sister frowned nervously, "But you still have to wear that, right?"

I looked at her in exasperation, "What else do burlesque dancers wear? Corsets and pantyhose! Look at me, you can't even see much skin! My legs are completely covered up with black panty hose and these straps won't let them go down at all. If anything, it's just the cleavage you should worry about!"

A knock on the door interrupted us. Joyce poked her head in, "Sorry to interrupt guys, but they're waiting for you Rose." She looked down at me in surprise, "Are you changing your act or something?"

I nodded my head, "Yeah, burlesque." I fluffed up my red hair.

Joyce smiled, "Okay, don't worry about being late. People are still coming in. Are you nervous?"

"No," I answered, "I don't even know these people. I won't see them again anyway. Took off my contacts too, so I'm blind as a bat right now." I pointed at my eyes.

I turned to Marina, who looked a little bit more relieved. Color was beginning to return to her cheeks. I took her hands in mine, "Does this make you feel better now?"

Marina let out a half smile, "Yeah, it kind of does. I just wish you didn't come to this realization because of a bully. Plus," she laughed, "I like the idea of a burlesque number. Wish I could have done it." She leaned in and kissed my cheek. "Show that bitch that you have what it takes."

I smiled and hugged her tightly, appreciative of her support. Marina handed me a mouthpiece and I put it on, making sure that the speaker would be right in front of my mouth. "I'll just bring out my inner Marina."

XXXXXXXXXX

Opening the door and walking outside was one of the most nerve wrecking moments of my life. At first I was stunned by bright stage lights before my eyes focused a bit. The first thing I saw was the silver pole I asked Marina to help set up. I could make out the silhouettes of people in front of me but I couldn't see them well. But I could hear them. Their loud applause and even louder cheers.

This scenario would normally be enough to scare me into backing off from dancing. But Selena's words would not stop replaying in my head, fueling my desire to prove myself. I was so tired of being such a shy, intimidated little girl. I for once wanted to have the confidence in myself to do what I love, no matter who was watching. I don't want to be scared of people; I want to be able to not let my fears hold me back anymore.

With that in mind, I smiled and waved at the crowd as I made my way to the pole. I took a bow and looked at Adam, waiting for him to introduce me.

He looked a little annoyed but it was no surprise. It must be uncomfortable for him to see his sister dressed like this in front of so many men. I couldn't even see them so I didn't understand why he should feel that way. He raised a microphone to his mouth, "Welcome gentlemen to Gents' Night! Performing tonight's special dance to the bridesgroom is no other than Rose Miranda, let's give her a round of applause!"

I nodded at the crowd and grinned. I heard the doors of the bar open and saw Calvin walk in. He stopped in his tracks as soon as he saw me and his jaw fell open. I saw his eyes slowly look up and down at me, so I quickly looked away.

_Awkward._

Joyce was right, people were still coming in. I looked at Adam who kept talking to the crowd about tonight's upcoming performances; in the meantime, I kept myself occupied by checking out the pole.

I grabbed it and contemplated what to do with it.

_I've never used a pole before, what do you do with this thing?_

I heard the doors open and I turned my head towards the doors in annoyance.

_Why are people so late? They shouldn't be allowed after the performers are already out, it's distracting…._

I squinted and saw blue hair. It must be Luke. My suspicions were proven when I saw the figure wave at me; I smiled back, but I soon became confused when a second figure followed Luke. I squinted harder.

_Maybe I shouldn't have taken off my contacts…._

The figure followed Luke to a table in the front. As it approached, I noticed how very large it was. Then I saw it: red hair. A knot formed in my stomach.

_Why wouldn't you listen?_

The large figured looked up and finally saw who it was on stage. His grey eyes widened and he just stared at me. I didn't smile, I stared back with an expressionless face.

_I'm not going to care what you think anymore. I just hope that after you see me do this, you would just leave me alone._

Adam called me out, "Rose, you're on!"

With one quick look at those grey eyes again, I quickly turned myself around and faced the pole. I heard "Body Party" by Ciara start, and I quietly said to myself, "You can do this. If you can do this, there's nothing to be scared of anymore."

I turned back around and slowly bent down, then took a deep breath and sang:

_My body is your party, baby_

_Nobody is invited but you baby_

I slowly slid my hands down my legs and crouched.

_I can do it slow now, baby tell me what you want_

I walked slowly towards the white haired bridesgroom and bent down so I could be eye to eye to him. I remembered him, his name was Toby. I smiled and sang to him,

_Baby put your phone down, you should turn it off_

_Cuz tonight it's going down, tell your boys it's going down_

_We in the zone now, don't stop_

I turned back and headed to the pole and leaned against it, and ran my hands from my face to my legs.

_You can't keep your hands off me, touch me right there, rock my body_

_I can't keep my hands off you, your body is my party_

I raised a finger and pointed at the crowd, trying my best to give them a seductive look.

_I'm doing this little dance for you_

_You got me so excited_

I allowed myself to let out a flirty smile as I body rolled against the pole.

_Now it's just me and you_

_Your body's my party, let's get it started. Ohhh_

I popped my shoulders to the beat of the music and grinded with my hips in unison. I've only seen the music video once but I remembered enough to do some of the same movements she did. I didn't care if what I was doing was actually burlesque; if I included some hip-hop, I would feel less nervous. I spun around and put my hands over my head, tossing my head to the side. I mentally had to keep reminding myself to stick out my hips and to flaunt myself as much as I could.

I walked away from the pole and dared myself to slowly approach the crowd. For the first time, I made myself make eye contact with some of the audience. As I tossed my red hair around, spun myself around, body rolled, swayed my hips, or used my arms to hug myself, I met many eyes. Blue eyes, green eyes, golden eyes, brown eyes, and eventually…grey eyes.

But I no longer cared. I was too determined to get over my fear that I refused to let myself feel butterflies any longer. I could not figure out what Owen was thinking or feeling, but I used it to my advantage. I batted my thick eyelashes as often as I could, and kept singing.

_Baby take your time now, there's no need to rush_

_We can go another round, if that's what you want_

I pretended to walk further into the crowd before quickly sliding back gracefully. With a playful wink at the crowd, I turned around dramatically and walked back to the pole. I stood in front of it and freestyled a bit. Tutting was not something burlesque dancers did but I do. I found away to include a bit of tutting as I swayed my body around quickly, then incorporated a bit of ballet as I spun myself around and raised my leg up over my head. No matter what I did, I kept telling myself to smile and act like a playful tease. Occasionally, a wink or two would be thrown at someone. Sometimes I would even pout a bit.

My song was coming to an end. I headed back to the pole then faced the crowd.

_I'm having so much fun with you_

_Now it's just me and you_

I extended an arm at them and gave them a longing stare, then slowly let myself down into a split.

_Your body's my party, let's get it started, oh._

It's over. The lights immediately went off on cue. I tried hard to maintain my split and waited.

Waited….

I heard nothing.

_Was it… bad or something? Did I just make a complete fool out of myself? Why is it so quiet?!_

My thoughts stopped as I heard slow clapping from one person.

Then two.

Then three.

Then all.

And then there were cheers.

XXXXXXXXXX

We were required to slip backstage whenever the lights went off. I was more than happy to oblige when I started to hear embarrassing cheers coming from the crowd.

"Doing it again!"

"Come back!"

"Where is she going? Come back to me!"

"My body can be your party!"

_Alcohol can make people say stupid things_, I thought in annoyance. As soon as I walked into the back room, I was greeted by excited girls. Alma grabbed my arm, "Hey sounds like you did great! They're still cheering!"

Adilene grinned, "You're one of us now, slut."

Marina smacked her head, "Haha easy now, Adilene! She was just joking Rose, she's just saying you finally did it." She hugged me, "You got over performing intimately."

I hugged her back, "I was scared at first man, but now…" I stepped back and smiled at her, "I can't imagine what could scare me now. I've done the worst thing possible!"

She looked happy beyond words. Probably because she heard that I had no idea how to use the pole. All I used it for was to lean on.

Joyce ran into the room and jumped at me. I caught her and she hugged me tightly, "That was so intense, Rosie! I think you would have given Mama a run for her money if she was still dancing! What are you gonna do now?"

Everyone looked at me expectantly. I grinned, "I'm gonna go back to the inn."

XXXXXXXXXX

Despite everyone's protests, I changed out of my costume and changed into sweatpants and a tank top. I meant to take off my makeup but when I looked into the mirror, I giggled a bit. I actually liked the makeup, so I decided to keep it for a while longer.

Marina kept herself busy as she changed into her own costume: short black shorts, a bedazzled bustier, and a black vest. She curled her black hair, and was applying red lipstick on her full lips as she kept throwing me weird looks.

I took off my jewelry, "Something bugging you, Marina?"

"Yes, why aren't you tripping about Owen or anything? Don't you wish he was here?"

I shook off my bracelets, "Your boy toy apparently can't keep his mouth shut. He brought Owen here." I nodded towards the door.

Marina stopped applying makeup and stared at me in shock, "Oh my God, what did he look like when he saw you? Were you nervous?"

My sister kept looking at me like that until I finally decided to answer her, "Not one bit. I refuse to be intimidated anymore. And I shouldn't care what he thinks of me, although I hope he thinks worse of me now after seeing me dance like that. It's better that way, I won't see him again after Medley Night. There's no point in hoping."

I picked up my jacket and slung it over my arm. Marina grabbed my arm, "No point in hoping for what, Rosie?"

I smiled at her and gently pried her fingers off of me. "I'll see you in the morning. Good luck tonight."

I headed towards the door.

XXXXXXXXXX

_God, these lights are too bright. I should have told Adam to do a light check…_

I quickly crouched like a ninja, as I walked past the stage. Rosalinda was already out dancing her own song of choice. She was doing the samba in a gorgeous two-piece Brazilian samba costume. I hoped no one would notice me.

I kept my head down as I dodged customers who were waiting in line for a drink. Good thing Rosalinda's beautiful dancing was keeping their eyes away from anything, no one could tell who I was. All eyes were on her. I could see the door, and as soon as I did I sprinted for it. I turned the handle and walked outside, and I let out a huge sigh of relief.

What I saw in front of me made me quickly retract that sigh of relief.

Owen was pacing back and forth with his hands deep in his pockets. When he heard the door close, he looked up and he stopped abruptly when he saw me. He turned towards me, but didn't say anything.

We stared at each other for a bit, the silence gradually making me more and more uncomfortable. The look on Owen's face was hard to decipher. I couldn't tell if he was mad, disgusted, or sad. But it certainly wasn't happy.

I tucked a strand of my hair behind my ear and bowed, "Excuse me." I turned to walk away. I was a few steps ahead when I heard him call out, "You're not very happy to see me, are you?"

I turned around and looked at him squarely in the face, "You don't seem happy to see me either." I shrugged, "Can't blame you though. Goodnight."

"Don't walk away, Rose."

I could almost feel the same nervousness slither its way to my heart, ready to jumble up my feelings. My heart started to beat a bit faster, but despite the same symptoms Owen gave me, my newfound confidence made it easier for me to at least talk back to him.

It was something at least.

I sighed, "I told you not to come for a reason. You saw just now what I did. But you know what, I'm glad you came. Now you have a reason to stop talking to me now that you feel disgusted of me." I tried to walk away.

_Mind you, life doesn't seem to always work that way for me._

Owen ran to me and tried to keep up with me, "Why would I be disgusted by you? I told you that I wanted to come support you like a good friend, and I did! I don't care what kind of dances you and your family do!"

He grabbed my arm and turned me around to face him. I kept my face as emotionless as I could, although I was sure my eyes were betraying me right now.

Owen sighed, "Are you embarrassed or something? It's okay, I understand you're conservative and shy. But you're such a talented dancer, you can do anything. And you did that today. I just wanted to help you realize that."

"How?"

"By being there for you!"

I looked down, "Thank you, I suppose."

I heard him sigh loudly, "Are you still embarrassed by it? Don't be. You could be wearing that black lacey outfit or," he looked down at my current attire, "just a pair of sweats and I would still think you're the most beautiful thing I have ever seen."

My eyes shot up from the ground and I glared at him. My mouth opened a bit as I met his eyes. My shock must have really startled him because I saw his face turn slightly red and I heard him gulp.

He looked away and rubbed the back of his neck. I stepped closer as I slowly asked, "What did you just say?" I leaned in a bit, hoping I wouldn't miss anything he said.

Owen coughed, "It's nothing. Will you just… will you just go to the bar with me? I don't wanna talk out here in the dark. Besides, I did mean to actually hang out with you and watch the performances together."

He let out a timid smile, which helped ease the tension. A smile slowly formed in my face, "I know, I got your letter."

"So… is that a yes?"

"That depends if you still are paying." I started to walk back to the bar and looked back at him, smiling. He grinned and followed me.

"Haha what?! Of course I will, that's what a gentleman should do on a date!"

I stopped in my tracks and turned back at him in surprise, "A date? This is a date?"

Owen's eyes widened and he smacked his forehead. He groaned under his breath.

"Damn, I'm not even drunk yet…."


	12. The Guessing Game

**Told you I'd have another chapter ready for ya! I decided to skip a bit ahead so sorry if it's a little rushed, but I wanted to get to the plot of the story already; plus, a lot of you have been wondering what will happen between Owen and Rose next, so this is my surprise to you! **

**Let me know if you like it:) Hope you do!**

Owen was obviously embarrassed, so I quickly thought of something to make him feel better. I waved my arms at him.

"Look at me, I'm not even dressed for a date! I was meaning to go to sleep in these clothes!" It was true, all I had on were grey sweats and a black tank top.

I could see him start to calm down and he eventually laughed. He glanced at me and shook his head, "I am looking at you. I would take you out even if you wore a garbage bag."

We both laughed nervously, the tension between nearly dissolved. I smiled at him and shyly patted his back. "Let's go to the bar then. I kind of would like to see my sister and cousins dance. Hopefully they do bad enough to make me feel better about my performance."

We walked together in silence to the Brass Bar and sat on some bar stools by the bar. By now, Joyce was out performing with Alma. They were doing some lyrical dancing to a song I did not know. A man with a bushy beard named Hayden asked for our order. Owen quickly asked for a yam cocktail then looked at me expectantly.

I stared at him, "Uh, I've never been here before. Uh…"

In all honestly, I desired something strong. I figured it would help calm down the butterflies in my stomach but I was afraid of getting so tipsy that Owen would end up knowing WHY I have butterflies in my stomach by the end of the night. I had to stay sharp.

Hayden leaned in, "I'll surprise you with a personal favorite, how about it?"

I smiled and nodded, "Thank you!"

He returned the smile, "On the house. For such a spectacular performance. After you finished, I had more orders for alcohol! Probably because the guys got nervous, haha."

He walked away and I felt my face heat up. I tried to let my hair fall to my face so Owen wouldn't notice. From the corner of my eye I could see him look at my cousins dance. I couldn't help but wonder if he was interested in any of them after that one day…

A young man stumbled over to where Owen and I were sitting. I could smell alcohol on him but I remained unfazed. He noticed me and walked over to me clumsily. I assumed he was drunk. I pretended not to notice as Hayden put down our drinks.

I was right. "Heyyy, you're that one dancer. The one in black." He grinned at me, "I saw how you looked at me. How about we both leave this joint, what to do you say?"

I shook my head politely, "No, thank you."

He hiccupped and looked at me in shock, "But you looked at me…"

"I looked at a lot of people."

"Come on-"

He tried to grab my arm but I recoiled. He tried to a second time more aggressively but this time, Owen stood up and quickly got between us. At that moment, I could have sworn my eyes popped out of my face.

"Sorry Chase, she's with me right now. And I think you've had one too many." Owen calmly said.

The peach haired young man struggled to make eye contact with him. He really must have been drunk out of his mind. "Get outta the way, Owen. I saw her first."

Owen held his hands up, "Take a step closer to her and I will throw you out this bar myself. We can do this the easy way or the hard way."

Chase looked angry, "I dare you to try, you meat head! You think I'm gonna let you have that piece of ass first- "

He didn't even get to finish his sentence. Because as soon as I heard what he called me, I was already on my feet and had punched him in the face, sending him straight to the floor. Although my fist hurt, I was too mad to really notice.

Owen quickly bent down to check on Chase, "He's out cold. He's not waking up. Damn Rose, you really let him have it!" He looked up at me in awe.

I looked away and muttered, "I'm not a piece of ass."

Owen picked up Chase effortlessly and set him down on an empty chair. No one else seemed to notice that someone had gotten punched and knocked out, they just continued cheering for the performers. Owen walked back and sat down next to me, but he just continued staring at me in admiration.

I avoided his gaze buy looking down and rubbing my hand, which was stinging. I honestly don't remember the last time I had to get physical like that. It wasn't my first time, but it was a while ago.

"Here let me see that."

Owen reached over and took my hand, gently rubbing his thumb on my knuckles. I winced a little in pain. I also winced because his touch sent sparks straight to my heart. I reminded myself to breathe.

He examined my hand closely, "No surprise that your hand is so red. With just one punch, you sent a grown man to the ground! Rose, it seems like every time I see you, you always surprise me with something."

He laughed, which made me blush more. I kept my eyes down at my hands, "I didn't mean to. I just didn't want him to do anything bad to me."

"Rose, if he so much laid a finger on you, I would have broken his arm or something." His grip on my hand tightened slightly after he said that.

I looked at him shyly, "Really? You'd stand up for me like that?"

Owen looked serious, "Of course, I would. I feel like, like I should always be looking out for you. I don't know why. I just feel like I'm supposed to protect you. Even though it seems like you don't need me from what I've seen today."

He let out a lighthearted laugh, which made me smile.

_Protect me? Why?_

I leaned in, "What do you mean that you have to protect me? I'm not that much of klutz, am I?"

He looked at me warmly, "I'm just like that. All I ever want to do is protect those I care about. And I care about you, Rose."

If I was blushing, he could definitely tell now. My eyes flickered away from his nervously.

"You just met me, Owen. I haven't even done anything for you."

_The things I would do if I could… If I could stay..._

Owen cleared his throat, "It's a little embarrassing to say but I want to be honest with you, Rose. Ever since I saw you, I always wondered why such a beautiful girl was so scared. At first I thought it was social anxiety, but then I saw how you treated my cousin. That made me happy, seeing this strange girl be so loving towards a little girl she just met. Then I saw you dance, and at that moment I knew I wanted to get to know you. I just had to."

He lowered his voice, "It doesn't take a scientist to know that men scare you. I could tell by how nervous you got when a guy approached you. I admit it was discouraging at first to have you be so standoffish when I tried to offer my friendship to you, but I didn't want to stop. I knew it would be worth it."

I felt a bit of sadness, "How is it worth it? All I've done was try to push you away."

He shook his head and chuckled, "You have your reasons why. But the times you did open up were moments I cherished. I got to know you not just by the things you said, but the things I saw. I knew that you went to Luke to help him with Marina. I saw how protective you are of your family. I heard about how you stepped up to Selena when she taunted your family. I saw the love you have for children like Chloe. I saw how hard you worked to make everyone's nerves go away so they could perform better. And despite how hard you tried to be cold and tough, I could tell that deep down you didn't mean to hurt anyone." He smiled, "You don't like to hurt anyone."

By then, Joyce and Alma finished dancing and were joined by Marina. The three of them began to dance to "Dont'cha" by the Pussycat Dolls. Despite the loudness of the bar and excitement, it felt as if Owen and I were alone in the room. I turned back my attention to Owen, who smiled when I made eye contact.

"You're pretty intuitive for a guy." I finally admitted.

Owen laughed, "Oh Goddess no, I'm the worst. I spent everyday trying to make sense of you. Gramps actually yelled at me once for slacking off."

I raised an eyebrow, "Because you were thinking of me?"

I knew it was a rather bold question to ask, but I didn't care. For goodness' sake, I just danced to freaking Body Party. Body Party. Nothing could scare me now.

Owen's grey eyes looked surprised, "Uh, I-I guess so." He cleared his throat a bit and with more assertiveness said, "Yes, I was thinking of you."

_Really? That honestly makes me… feel so happy! _

I scratched my head, "There's not much to get about me really. I was scared of strangers and men. I love kids, I love my family, I can be overprotective, and I can't express my feelings well."

"Was? Meaning you're not scared anymore?"

I let out a dry laugh, "After what I did tonight? How can I have any fear or dignity left?"

"Rose, you were… amazing today."

My eyes quickly met with his again. I gawked at him, was he really serious?

He continued, "When I first saw you tonight, I thought my heart was gonna burst. When you dance, I feel like I could watch you all day. I never wanted you to stop. When you did, I felt like I was in some kind of trance or something. Although I will admit, part of me wanted to punch every guy in the room after seeing the looks on their faces."

Owen laughed. I scratched my neck in embarrassment; at least I knew what he thought. And I was glad.

I looked at my watch. 1:52 am.

"Owen, I had a nice time with you. But I have to go now. We have Medley Night tomorrow so I have to get some rest."

I stood up and bowed, "Thank you for everything. I feel much happier now."

He stood up, "Can I at least walk you home?"

After he walked me back to the inn, we both stood in front of the door awkwardly. I could tell he had something on his mind, but he wouldn't say. I decided that I would break the ice for once.

"Something on your mind, Owen?"

He looked startled, "Oh uh, that obvious huh? Well might as way just come out with it…" He took a deep breath, "Rose, like I said before, I feel like I have to take care of you. Now, most of the guys on this island are good guys. No doubt about that. Sometimes though, they can get way out of hand… guys will be guys you know? So if you would let me, could I take you to Medley Night?"

I looked at him in confusion, "Like escort me there or something?"

Owen laughed nervously, "No like… like a date. A proper one this time. I would like to dance with you. But I'm warning you, I suck!"

My hands flew to mouth in surprise. I was so stunned, I found myself laughing anxiously. I have never ever been asked out to anywhere like this before. This was my first time with someone I genuinely liked.

_Rose, did you just admit that you like Owen?_

I smiled at him happily, "I can't imagine a better way to spend my last night here."

XXXXXXXXXX

As we agreed the night before, Owen came to pick me up at 7:00 pm. After much pressure from ALL of my cousins and Marina, I relented and wore a dress. I straightened all of my hair and put a flower pin on one side. The dress Marina picked for me was a strapless light pink dress that was a little too short for my liking. I paired it with white heels and a red belt. I kept my makeup at a minimum, hoping that I wouldn't be overdoing it.

When I walked out to meet Owen at the door, I saw him do something I have not seen him do yet. He actually gasped.

I frowned, "Aw man, I knew wearing a dress would be stupid. Just a moment, please."

I tried to turn back so I could change but I felt my hand grabbed; for once my arm wasn't being grabbed, this time it was my hand! I let that sink in for a bit.

Owen chuckled, "I'm sorry if I stared, it's just… this is the first time I have ever seen you in a dress before. I have always thought you were beautiful but now," he ran his hand through his hair, "you are just gorgeous."

I looked at him, not sure of what to say. I shakily said, "I don't know what to say. Thank you, Owen. I feel less stupid now."

We walked together to the Church Grounds were Medley Night was taking place. The entire place was set up nicely with a large dance floor in the middle and several small shops were set up around. The grounds were decorated with balloons, ribbons, and flowers. The atmosphere was truly romantic.

I could see some of my family members already dancing with some of the villagers. Marina was resting her head on Luke's shoulders, looking content. Mama was dancing with Luke's father, which surprised me I must admit. Diego with Maya, Joyce with Julius, and…. Adam with Chloe. I won't even question it.

Owen took my hand and led me to the dance floor. I felt eyes on us and my face heated up, but I tried my best not to care. I was here with Owen, nothing could possibly ruin that. A bachata song came on. I smiled suddenly when I recognized the song; this song made me so happy each time I heard it. Owen noticed my change in mood.

"What is it Rose?"

"This song is called "Las Cosas Pequenas" by Prince Royce. I love this song. I love bachata, it's one of my strengths." I responded giddily.

Owen scratched his head, "I remember hearing that your talent was Latin dancing. Goddess, I wish I could dance this with you but I don't know how."

I held up a finger, "Haha I can help you! There's a trick, the only ones that have to do all the work in bachata are the girls! Just let me lead and follow along, no one will tell that I'm doing all the work!"

Owen smiled, "What should I do then?"

I took his hand and put it on my waist, then grabbed his other hand. "Whatever you do, just don't let go of my hand."

He grinned, "That won't be hard to do."

And with that I took off to full Latin dancing mode. I started to sway my hips and spun myself around. I could see Mama and Marina stop dancing and look at me. I kept going anyway.

"Whooo, move them hips like Mama taught you!" Marina playfully called out. I laughed and obliged as best as I could. Bachata was the first thing Mama taught me, and I knew it well. Better than the rest of our dancers.

I put my arms around Owen's neck and swayed left to right, and I couldn't help but smile at him. His smile went from ear to ear and he held me closer. I took his hand to spin myself out, then spun into his arms again. He wrapped his arms around me when I spun back to him and we both bent over in laughter.

I can't tell you every detail of that night. All I remember was spinning around, laughing, swaying, Latin music, laughing, smiling, some cheers, and more laughing. Owen actually started to sway a bit at some point, and I clapped at him. He got the steps down and as soon as he could keep up with me, he grabbed my hands and suddenly pulled me to him, placing my hands around his neck.

My eyes widened and his grey eyes twinkled. He was actually leading me! My heart was beating at full throttle right now, all I could think about was the way he was looking at me. The way he smiled at me. The perverse innuendos Marina was shouting at me…

The song ended and another one played. Owen and I stopped dancing but we stayed in our place, staring at each other. By this point I didn't know what to expect, I just hoped that whatever happened next wouldn't cause me to pass out.

Nope, the worst thing imaginable happened.

"Hello Owen. Nice night, isn't' it?"

Selena walked over to us, with a seductive smile on her face. I couldn't believe my eyes, this night actually seemed promising. I tried hard to look cordial.

Owen let go of me, "Oh hey, Sel. Yeah, it's a nice night."

Selena held out her hand to him, "Dance with me?"

He looked conflicted, "Uh… I'm kind of on a date here, Sel. With Rose."

Owen turned to look at me, but I just shook my head at him. "Nah go ahead, I need a break anyway." I turned to Selena and gave her a polite smile, "You can share my date since you don't seem to have one."

Selena's smile seemed a little forced now, "Oh how absolutely thoughtful of you. You must be so tired after dancing for so many men after all." She giggled. I knew she meant that as an insult.

I nodded, "I was surprised myself. Hayden said that there have never been that many customers at once for a performance before." I grinned at her, "Ever."

She looked like she was about to jump me when she understood my insult, but I couldn't help it. I couldn't stand to be insulted. I bowed to her and walked away.

After greeting Candace and Maya, I found Marina sitting in a chair. I walked over and said 'sup' to her. She looked pissed at me, "What the hell Rose?! You're just gonna let that whore take your man like that? You know she obviously is trying to get him back!"

I sat down next to her, "I know."

"Then why are you doing this?!"

I looked up at the night sky, "I want to find out if he's also interested in her. Dancing can be either intimate or friendly. So I want to see the interaction between them. Can't say I like it though…" I twindled my fingers nervously.

Marina wrapped her arm around my shoulders, "Oh Rosie, I understand what you mean. I just hope you don't see something that would disappoint you."

I looked at her and softly said, "I like him, Marina."

She smiled and hugged me tightly, "I'm so glad you admitted that now."

"Pardon me ladies. I was hoping if I could ask Miss Rose for a dance. That is if you don't mind, Miss Marina."

We broke from our embrace only to see Calvin in front of us with a smile on his face. He extended his hand to me. I looked at Marina, who waved her hand at me dramatically.

"Nah go ahead and take this peasant from me. Can't keep her off of me."

I rolled my eyes at her and took his hand.

He lead me to the dance floor, and in one smooth motion, wrapped his arm around my waist.

We swayed to a slow song called "Tu Amor" by RBD, which I found ironic. I was quite surprised at how well Calvin could move; I looked at him in awe.

"Have you danced before?"

He smiled slyly, "I've tried all kinds of things before."

Calvin's eyes rested on my outfit, "You look stunning today, Rose. More so than usual."

I smiled at him, "Thank you, that's kind of you."

He responded, "It seems like wherever you go, you're always the show stopper. Yesterday night, I felt like a I was a teenager again looking at my first crush."

_His what?!_

I almost tripped on my own feet, "What do you mean, Calvin?"

"I meant that it's been a while since a woman has made me feel that way. It's silly, that an older man like me can be taken back by a girl not even 21." He shook his head.

I tilted my head to the side, "How old are you exactly?"

He sighed, "I am 32 years old. Does that bother you?"

I shrugged, "No. My father was 32 when he met my own mother. She was around my age. They got married and had the three of us." I left out the fact that the marriage didn't work out.

Calvin grinned down at me as he swung me around, "That's good then. I don't feel bad anymore, I can keep getting to know you."

_Where the heck is this going?_

I frowned, "What for? Do you have something in mind?"

_Please just tell me you're overly friendly and that's it. _

Calvin laughed, "Oh I don't know. Marry you. Have a few kids. Something like that. Why not?"

At that moment, I felt something push me back and I fell into Calvin, who quickly caught me and held me close.

_What just happened? Did someone push me?_

"Oh I'm sooooo sorry, I didn't see you there!" Selena obnoxiously said. I turned around and saw her waltz away with Owen who looked back at me apologetically. Selena gave me a dirty look and rested her head on his chest.

_That does it._

I got up and straightened myself up before looking at Calvin again, "I have to go now, thank you for the dance."

"Wait, Rose, please don't go-" he tried to reach out for me but I backed off. He looked sad, but I couldn't be here anymore.

"I'll see you around, okay?" Without looking back, I walked off. Past the stalls, past the flowers, past the guests, and finally past the stairs. I kept walking, not caring where I was headed. I eventually found myself at the lighthouse, so I took a seat on the bench next to it.

If it were up to me, I would keep walking but these heels wore me out. I stared at the sea, wondering if I should cry or not. I wondered why my feelings were being played with like this.

I finally open up a bit to someone, and next thing I know, they literally waltz away with someone else. I leaned back on the beach and rested my forehead on my hand.

_ Out of all people, why Selena? She has such a rotten attitude, why is it so easy to fall quickly for her? What does she have that I don't have? I just wished he didn't say those things about me before doing something like that…._

"I knew you'd be here."

I looked up and saw Owen standing next to the bench, his face flushed red. He looked like he was running. I just kept staring at him.

_Your turn to say something now, you jerk._

He didn't sit down next to me, instead he crouched down in front of me and looked up at me. I tried to contain my heartbeats from intensifying.

"Are you mad at me? I'm so sorry if I made you mad, I shouldn't have spent so much time with Selena. This was our date."

"You were gone for nearly an hour, Owen." I said flatly.

He sighed and looked down, "I know. I shouldn't have let Selena guilt me into dancing with her each time I tried to stop. She kept talking so much, I felt it would also be rude to shut her up."

_She made him? Did she do this on purpose to get me mad at him? Ugh of course she would…_

I looked away, "Did you stop because I left?"

"No, I stopped because I saw you with Calvin."

His voice sounded a little angry when he mentioned Calvin's name. I turned to him and he looked up at me sadly. "Why?"

Owen let out a sigh, "Because I know what he thinks of you. And the way you both danced," he shook his head, "I didn't like it. At all. I even forgot to tell Selena that I was done dancing with her. I just ran after you."

I felt touched. I couldn't believe my ears. I wanted to not believe him but at the same time, I was so happy he admitted that he did that for me. So does that mean he really doesn't have feelings for Selena?

He stood up, grabbed my hands and pulled me up with him. I just stared at him, unsure of what to expect. This night has just been all kinds of unpredictable.

"Rose, I am so sorry for doing that to you. I'm not going to let some guy just come and take you away like that again. Is there anything I can do to make it up to you?"

I smiled and shook my head nervously, "It's alright. Just don't make me feel that way again. I have a hard time making sense of feelings I've never felt before you know."

He looked at me with such a peaceful look on his face. I tried hard to keep my balance. "You're so wonderful, Rose. I don't think I've met someone quite as different as you."

"That's where you're wrong. Luke thinks I'm just like a Wonderful." I joked.

We both laughed heartily. Owen laughed the loudest, "I think he's right! Oh Rose… hey can I ask you something?"

I put my hands behind my back and smiled, "Sure, what is it?"

"Is Rose your real name? Like is it short for something?"

I've never been asked that before. It took me by surprise.

I scratched my neck, "Yes it is.

"Can I take a guess?"

"As many as you'd like."

He grabbed my hand and began to walk me back to the inn. I stopped fighting back the butterflies; no way they could stop now since he's actually holding my hand.

"Rosalyn."

"No."

"Rosemary."

"Oh, God no."

"Rosetta."

"No."

"Rosalind?

"Not at all."

"Rosemund."

"My mom doesn't hate me that much."

He looked flustered, "Roseanne, Roseanna, Rosemarie, any of those."

We finally reached the doors of the inn. I turned to face him with a playful smile, "No, none of those."

He ran his hand through his hair, "Wow, I'm out of ideas. I could have sworn I would have guessed it."

I giggled, "It's alright. If it's any solace, I never reveal my name. Only my relatives know it."

He smiled, "It's alright. Even if you don't like your name or if you think it's ugly, it could never ever change the way I think about you." He looked down at his feet, "Or the way I feel about you."

I bit my lip, not sure if I heard that right.

"What are you talking about?"

The timid look I saw yesterday crossed his face again as his cheeks turned slightly pink, "Rose, the past few days you've been here have been one of the most memorable days of my life. Before you and your family came to this island, things were quiet and boring. I lived my life routinely, never expecting anything. Then you came. I found things to look forward to, things were no longer predictable, and I got to meet someone like you. I got to experience things like dancing with you, going on this walk with you, talking to you, and getting to know you. It's honestly been like an adventure for me, you brought color to my black and white life. I will always be thankful for that. Thank you Rose, for everything."

Before I could say anything, Owen pulled me into a tight embrace. I froze in place, I have never hugged a man before. His head was between my neck and shoulder and both his hands were on my back. His sweet words resonated on my mind and I felt warmth overcome me. I finally allowed myself to embrace him back.

No one has ever said anything like that to me either. Or held me like this. Or tried this hard to get to know me. Or cared for me this much. And I have to leave someone like this tomorrow. The thought nearly broke my heart, and I fought back tears.

_Well, if anything, I could always leave a piece of me that would be for him and him only._

I softly whispered into his ear, "Rosalie."

I felt Owen's grip loosen a bit. He pulled back a little and looked down at me in surprise. He still kept his hands on my waist though. Despite my shyness, I made myself look up at his grey eyes.

A small smile formed on his face, "What?"

I swallowed, "R-Rosalie. That's my full name. Rosalie."


	13. Freedom, Fear, and Fallacies

**Author's Note: It's finally here! I sincerely apologize for being so late, but I had problems uploading anything on this site for a while:( the problem has been fixed and I can post stories again! Sorry if this chapter seems rushed, I wrote it in class (bad example, don't repeat!). I hope I can make it up to all of you for being so late.**

**As always, feel free to comment/critique! Or if you want your own work revised, just a friendly reminder that I am accepting beta requests:) I want to see your work!**

**Enjoy!**

I could have stayed in that embrace forever if I could.

After I gently broke out of our embrace, I gave Owen one last kind smile before turning and entering the inn. He gave my hand one quick grip before I pulled it away.

I have never liked goodbyes, nor was I any good at it. I never said goodbye and I would just smile and walk away. That's just how I handled situations like these. I hoped he understood that someday.

Upon entering the inn, the first thing I saw was my ENTIRE family gathered around the lobby. Everyone's eyes met mine as soon as I entered, causing me to flinch.

_How long have they been here? Did they hear anything? Oh god, did they see anything?_

"Nice of you to finally join us, Rose."

I turned and saw Mama sitting down on a chair with her arms crossed over her chest. She had a rather stern look on her face. I automatically knew something was up.

"Yeah Rose, where have you been? Medley Night finished like, almost two hours ago," Rosalinda said. I noticed that her makeup around her green eyes was smearing. Another sign that it's been a while.

_Wow really? Almost two hours? It felt so short…._

I quickly cleared my throat, "What's going on?"

Bryce shrugged, "None of us know. Aunt Tory said to meet up here because we have an important matter to discuss."

My head turned back to Mama, "Why? Don't we have to get up early in the morning?" As far as I was concerned, the boat was supposed to leave at 7:00 am.

She sighed, "Yes, about that…." Mama stood up and motioned for everyone to gather around. I walked over to stand next to my siblings, who looked just as confused as I was. Marina gave me a reassuring smile, while Adam looked anxious. Once we did, she took off her spectacles and looked up at us with a solemn look on her face.

"As you all know, I am not from the city like most of you. I am from a town called Forget-Me-Not valley, an obscure little place you have never been too. My parents were farmers so naturally, we traded and shipped produce and animal products to several surrounding towns. One of those towns was Castanet. What you don't know is that I met my husband here and we lived here for sometime."

Everyone quickly looked at me and my siblings. Marina blushed, Adam grumbled and scratched his black hair, and I clenched my fists. We never really liked bringing up our father. At all.

Mama's voice almost cracked but she quickly regained her composure. She continued, "This place grew on me when I lived here. And coming back made me realize that I never really grew out of that fondness. So let me just get to the point…" she looked up at us with a slight determination in her face, "I am disbanding this group."

XXXXXXXXXX

Several gasps ricocheted all over the place. Some of my cousins' hands flew to their mouths, some had their mouths open, or some just started to protest. Marina's eyes started to water, Adam walked over to Mama to bombard her with questions, and I just stayed in my place completely in shock.

_What has gotten over this woman?_

I saw my cousins run to Mama and demanded answers and explanations.

"Was it something we did?"

"Did we do horribly this time?"

"What's wrong with you?"

"Why Aunt Tory? Why?"

Mama raised her hand and dropped it, "ENOUGH! Step away now and I'll explain. Get a hold of yourselves, people are still sleeping!" Deep furrows formed in her forehead.

Everyone's senses seemed to come back as they abruptly pulled back and shut up. Mama maintained a severe look on her face but as soon as everyone calmed down, she softened her face again. Mama really knew how to intimidate people, even giants like Adam and Ray.

"I know you deserve an explanation. Here it is. Ever since my sisters had you all, I immediately took you all as well as my own children as apprentices. While I have worked very hard to devote myself to you and train you all to be the very best, I realize I have denied you the chance to have a life. You may have been successful and traveled all around the world, but it wasn't of your own choosing. I want all of you to pursue what you have always dreamed of doing. Go back to your families, make your own families, or keep dancing if you'd like. But as for me, I am going stay and make Castanet my home once again."

She sat down on her chair and looked at us expectantly for a response. I knew everyone was too stunned to process this fully so I stepped forward, "Mama, what about the company? You worked so hard to make it the way it is today."

Mama gave me a half smile. Her violet eyes looked at me with a soft kindness I have never experienced before. It startled me.

"Oh Rose, of course I leave this company to you. Do whatever you wish with it. That is if you desire to still be a performer."

"Mama I-I don't know what else to do. This is all I have ever done. I don't know what else to do." I struggled to hide the anxiety in my voice.

My mother smirked at me slyly, "Last time I checked you were the only one holding a degree. I trained you to be versatile, to be able to adapt. Just apply it to everyday life. You can be anything you want to be." She stood up and ran her hand through her copper hair. "I have to rest now. I have to meet Hamilton tomorrow morning to fill out a residency card and to pay for a vacant home I had my eye on."

She turned towards her children and smiled happily, "We finally raised the funds to afford to live somewhere." And with that, she retreated back to her room.

My family and I stood there in silence, unsure if what just happened really happened. Mama never smiled like that before. This is the first time I have ever seen her genuinely seem happy.

Even if it was a little bit of happiness.

_The company…. It's all mine now…_

Although I realized that I have now just inherited the Miranda Dance Company, I found myself unsure of what to do with it. All my life I have been raised to prepare myself to handle such a huge responsibility; and now that it's my time, I felt like I had never prepared at all.

"Rosie, what are we going to do?" Marina asked with a hint of fear on her voice. She was gripping Rosalinda's hand, who looked just as scared as she was. I looked around the room; everyone looked scared and shocked.

I looked at her worried face, "Uh… let's sleep first. It's been a long night. No point in making it longer."

XXXXXXXXXX

That night for me was restless. Images of Owen intersected with thoughts of Mama's smile and the fear that we all had now that we had our freedom back. After much pondering, I finally thought of something to say to my cousins and siblings.

_They're all adults, they can make their own choices now. It's quite simple actually. We can just do this in the morning, so sleep now Rose…._

We all got up the next morning and got ready for the day in silence. Yolanda greeted us with a wonderful breakfast but even that wouldn't break the silence. We just ate in silence, or just simply played with our food without eating it. After we were done, I asked everyone to meet in front of town hall.

We all walked there together and once we were there, I turned to my family and spoke, "Well guys, I thought long and hard about this. But I find that there's really not much to say so here it goes."

I took a deep breath, "I… do not wish to lead this company. I want to stay here. Everyone that wants to stay is more than free to stay. If you want to go back to your parents, then do that. If you want to keep this company going, that's fine too. But I am staying here."

Bryce quickly stepped forward, "Rose, I love dancing more than anything. I want to keep this company alive, can't you please stay?"

I smiled gently at him, "No, because you are now in charge of this company. I'll have paperwork set up and show you all you need to know about handling this company." I looked at the rest of our group, "Anyone else that wants to keep dancing, join Bryce."

My sister skipped next to me and put her hands on her hips, "I'm staying here if you do too. I can't imagine a life without you in it, I won't leave your side."

She turned towards the group, "ADAM THAT MEANS YOU TOO!"

Adam emerged out of the group with a grin, "I can't leave my sisters here alone. You never know when you'll need someone to protect you."

I looked at him gratefully, "You're the best." I hugged both my siblings, "You both are."

Marina reached down and pinched my cheek, "Aren't you forgetting something, Rosie?"

I raised an eyebrow, "Uh… I'm pretty sure I haven't. Why? Did I forget to turn off the faucet again?" At the rate I kept forgetting to turn off the faucet, Yolanda will start charging me for water.

"No silly! Aren't you forgetting about telling someone?"

"But Mama already told Hamilton about us staying…."

"ROSE, A SPECIAL SOMEONE."

At that instant, my face heated up and I felt similar symptoms overcome me all over. I felt my heart beat rate increase, my hands started to feel clammy, and that same fluttering feeling in my stomach. Despite how hard I wanted to keep my emotions to myself, I couldn't help but smile and bow my head slightly.

A few of my cousins cooed. "Oh I've never seen Rosie so shy before!" piped up Joyce, who held her hands to her heart.

Alma shouted out, "Go get him, Rosie! Now is your chance!"

"Don't encourage her!" spat out Adam angrily. I felt his arm wrap around my shoulders protectively.

"Oh let it go Adam!" Marina stepped forward and smacked the back of Adam's head loudly. "She's been a woman! Let her pursue what her heart wants for once!"

She turned to me to say something else but I was already gone.

XXXXXXXXXX

I ran as fast as I could.

_I'm free… I can do anything I want to do now. I can say anything now. I no longer have to behave a certain way anymore. I can be anything! I can be myself!_

At think of this, I felt myself run faster. Despite the fact that I started to gasp for breath, I could not help but smile all the while.

_Owen, I have to tell you. This cannot be coincidence, I really was meant to tell you!_

By now the sun was fully up and I started to feel heat on my back. The wind was starting to pick up and I fought hard to run against it. My hair, which was usually neatly straight, was blowing all over the place. My leg muscles were already sore from dancing for three days straight and were screaming in protest, but I didn't care.

I didn't have to care anymore!

_Oh please don't be working, please don't be working, please don't be working!_

I jumped into the mine cart and quickly pushed the lever. It took off after a slight delay; I took advantage of the ride to catch my breath. I realized I was still smiling even then and I couldn't help but let out a laugh.

_Why shouldn't I smile? Why shouldn't I laugh? I'm free!_

The mine cart came to a stop and I hopped off. I took off as soon as my feet touched the ground and I attempted to run to the Blacksmith's. But I only made it to a few steps because…

I saw them.

Standing in front of the mine was Owen. Holding Selena close to him. Her arms were snaked around his neck and she seemed to be saying something to him. His back was to me so I couldn't see what he was doing. Or how he looked at her….

But I saw how she looked at him. With such wanting and longing. She had that usual seductive look on her face, and she kept batting her eyelashes delicately at him. I could only assume that he must have been really receptive to whatever she was doing because she never backed away. And he still kept his hands on her waist.

I felt my body go limp. Although I should have probably run away, I couldn't. I couldn't pry my eyes off of them, mostly because I couldn't believe what was happening. I felt pressure build up in my eyes. I knew what that meant.

Tears.

_No, I refuse to cry right now. Especially for such a… such a…._

Selena's eyes quickly noticed me and she stopped talking. The seductive smile she had on her face quickly shifted into a smirk. Owen's head quickly turned to me and his eyes opened wide.

I should have run away right then and there. But my feet wouldn't budge from their place. I was absolutely mortified.

My eyes kept flickering from Owen's shocked face, to Selena's smirking face.

_Why can't I say anything?_

"Well, well, well. Look who it is. Hasn't anybody told you that it's rude to stare?" Selena exclaimed haughtily. I noticed her hands slowly travel from Owen's neck to his arms.

For once in my life, I had no witty remark to say. Nothing to defend myself with. All the butterflies in my stomach were gone. Instead, I felt emotionless. I couldn't even bring myself to clench my fists.

Selena spoke again, "Sorry to break it to you darlin', but you were just a one time thing. Owen has always had me in his heart, you were just a distraction during our break up. He had his fun with you so he won't have need for you once you leave. Besides," she said with an insidious tone in her voice, "why would he ever want to be with such a tease?"

I felt anger start to boil in my chest.

I narrowed my eyes. "What did you just say?" I took one step forward subconsciously.

To my surprise, Owen finally spoke up, "How could you Rose? Am I just another regular customer you seduce for your pleasure?"

_Seduce? He thinks I was seducing him?_

I blinked at him, "What are you talking about?"

Selena stepped in front of Owen and pointed a finger in accusation at me. "Don't play dumb! I know all about you. I can dig up dirt on you just like you did to me!"

_She dug what? And…. Did she do this out of spite? Pay back?_

She slowly walked towards me, "It wasn't too hard considering how famous your pathetic dance company was around the world. I know how you and all your slut cousins are trained to seduce men into coming to their performances so they have bigger audiences. Bigger audiences mean more money. And guess who I found out was the best of them all?" Selena giggled, "Rosalie Sofia Miranda!"

_Oh my God…._

Selena made a face, "What kind of name is Rosalie anyway? Even your name is as stupid and old as you are." She turned to Owen who looked sullen, "I'm sorry to have told you the truth this way, baby. But I just wanted to protect you." She whipped her head towards me and narrowed her red eyes, "Look at her. She plays innocent just to lure all sorts of men in without a conscience! I bet she does bachelor parties with less clothes all the time! I wouldn't be surprised if she ended them with happy endings-"

Owen looked like he was about to get sick, "Stop it, Selena. I get it." He looked up at me with glassy eyes, "I now get it."

_Why are you looking at me like that? Please don't look at me like that….please…._

I was in such a state of shock, I could barely whisper out to him, "You believe her?"

Owen's face was hard to decipher. He looked angry, disappointed, but above all, hurt. I looked into his eyes, hoping that he could see how badly this was hurting me right now. How close to tears I was.

We looked at each other for what seemed to be forever. Violet eyes against grey eyes. Two hurt and very confused people. With nothing to say.

Selena walked over to Owen's side and gently said to him, "Baby, look at all the evidence. Look at what happened at Gents' Night, how she danced with Calvin, how much Gill talks about her. You were just another man out of many to her."

Owen abruptly broke eye contact to me and looked away, "I don't know what to think of you anymore, Rose. I can't even stand the sight of you."

I felt a sharp pain in my heart. All my defenses I would have put to use in this situation were of no use anymore. I couldn't think. All I could think about was how I felt like I couldn't breathe, or how badly my heart was breaking.

But there is one thing about me that has saved me from situations like these and is the one thing that would not break.

I do not **beg.**

"Well, I see you made up your mind. I'll try my best to make sure I stay out of your sight." I said softly.

Selena looked at me in annoyance and confusion, "What are you talking about, you slut? You're leaving today, you will never see him again!"

But I had already turned on my heel and walked away.

XXXXXXXXXX

_I will not cry. I was fine before him, I will be better without him. I will not cry, I refuse to cry._

I mentally kept forcing myself to abolish any feelings I felt towards this situation, Selena, Owen, anything.

_How could I have ever felt something for someone as petty as Owen? What a gullible, spiteful idiot… I have never been so wrong in my life. This has got to be one of the most humiliating experiences of my life._

I fought hard against the lump in my throat and reminded myself to breathe. I continued to walk all the way into town and intended on going straight to the inn but I accidentally bumped into Adilene along the way. I should have been looking where I was going.

"Hey! Watch where you're- oh hey, Rose."

I straightened myself up, "Sorry about that Adilene. Excuse me."

"Oh wait Rose, Auntie needs you at Town Hall. We all had to file resident cards if we wanted to stay or buy boat tickets if we want to leave." She grinned at me; "I can't wait to see my mother after all these years. I'll visit you from time to time, promise."

I was still dazed so I barely heard what she said, "Yeah, great. See you back at the inn then. I tried to walk past her but Adilene suddenly gripped my arm and turned me towards her.

"Hey you okay? Did something happen?" she narrowed her brown eyes suspiciously.

"Yeah just busy that's all. My mind is still processing this huge change that's all," I blurted out. I broke from her grasp and swiftly walked away towards town hall, hoping she didn't notice anything.

_Who can notice something internal like a broken heart anyway? Owen didn't notice…_

I opened the door to town hall and walked inside. I was still really distracted over what transpired earlier today, so I was caught off guard when I looked up and saw my mother, my sibling, the mayor and his son. All staring at me.

At first I stared at them back until I regained my senses. "Oh sorry I am uh, late. I heard I was needed."

Gill stood up from his chair and bowed towards me, "Hello Ms. Miranda. Lovely to see you." He pulled up a chair for me, "Please take a seat."

I politely waved his offer away, "No need, I'd rather stand. It's nice to see you again, Gill."

I noticed a little tint of red appear on his cheeks and he quickly looked at his father, "Well Father, I will go ahead and fetch the paperwork for Ms. Miranda."

"Gill, you don't have to call me that. If we are going to be neighbors, I'd rather you call me Rose." I smiled at him reassuringly, and a small smile formed on his lips.

I heard my sister mumble in disapproval, "Any more of this sappy stuff and you guys will be sucking face as soon as you are alone."

"MARINA," Mama barked.

"I'm just saying what we all were thinking!"

Gill's face was a deep shade of crimson now. "I uh, will go get the paperwork now. Excuse me…"

He briskly walked towards a cabinet. I turned my attention to the mayor, who looked at me with a gentle smile. I could tell he felt some sympathy for me. It must be hard having a sister who is so brazen and outspoken all the time.

"Well Rose, I heard you are interested in staying in this island and applying for residency. I just wanted to say that I am pleased as punch! You will be quite happy here, I'm sure. Now," he sorted through some paperwork on his desk, "we have four vacant residences up for sale if you are interested. We have one in town, one in Flute Fields, one in the Garmon Mine district and-"

Marina screeched out, "The mine district?! I call dibs on that one! Me and Rose have quite an interest in that area." She winked at me slyly. I knew what she meant.

_Luke…and… _

I quickly spoke up, "I'm not interested in living there."

I noticed Marina's eyes grow large and her mouth opened wide in surprise. "But why Rose?! You know we have some… you know, business to attend to there!"

Our mother caught the insinuation in Marina's words and turned her head towards her. Mama's violet eyes pierced through Marina's as she hissed, "What business are you talking about?"

"Uh… nothing as important as your business, Mama." Marina quickly looked away and quietly whispered, "Please don't kill me."

My mother faced the mayor and more calmly said, "I would like to live in town with my Rose, please. I have two nieces who can live in Flute Fields. Adam, you stay with your sister. If her business is not that big of a deal, then she should have no trouble living with you." Mama glanced at Marina with satisfaction written all over her face.

_God, she was good. She was very good._

Adam glared at Marina, who looked dumbstruck. He whispered at her, "Thanks to your raging hormones, I totally lost the chance to have my own bachelor pad…."

I cleared my throat, "Sorry Mama, but I don't want to live with you either."

Everyone turned to look at me strangely. Mama's violet eyes narrowed, "Why not?"

"I… I want to live on my own. I don't want to stay at home or handle paperwork or draw up contracts. I want to do something else productive, something with my hands."

I wanted to be far away from Owen and the mine district as possible. I wanted to work myself to death if it meant keeping myself from ever dwelling on these feelings I felt ever again. But of course, I refused to admit that.

Mayor Hamilton looked confused, "Well Rose, there's only one residency left. The one in Flute Fields. Would you like to live with your cousins?"

"No, thank you. Like I said, I want to live alone. If I may, could I fill out paperwork to file for work too?"

I heard my siblings mumbling to each other and Mama stood up from her chair in protest. "What exactly are you planning to do then? If all the vacant homes are taken, where the hell are you supposed to live? And file for work? What are you thinking of doing?"

Gill returned with paperwork and he handed it to me. "Rose, I'm sure we can find work for you here as a dancer."

I took the papers from his hands and smiled at him, "I appreciate that, but I don't want to be a dancer anymore. Hey, does anyone live on that rundown house by that large plot of land?"

Mama walked over to me and put her hands on her hips. "Why are you interested in that useless plot of land?"

I took the pen Gill handed me and started filling out my paperwork. Without looking up, I calmly responded, "Because I want to be a farmer."


	14. Two Can Play That Game

**Finally! Sorry for the wait, mind you I'm a college student so I'm swamped with work quite often. I wrote an extra long chapter to make up for it:) Note: if you have any Harvest Moon fan fiction and need revising, let me know! As a beta reader, I want to read your work:)**

**Let me know if you like this chapter! It helps knowing that people are reading and enjoying this story, so please comment! I tend to work faster when chapters are more in demand. So if you want a chapter sooner, just tell me:] **

**Enjoy!**

_Damn, it's a lot worse than I remember…._

I frowned as I inspected the rundown farm. The house, or whatever was left of it, looked much worse than it did before. A few boards from its roof collapsed and the paint was peeling everywhere. A few weeds and wildflowers grew on the porch and the sides, which surprisingly, I thought made the place more beautiful

I put a finger to my chin and thought.

_Well, I think I can afford to fix this place up with my shares of everything we've earned. I guess I can ask the carpenter for his help. I'm going to need tools too… and seeds. Oh man, I also have to fix the barn and the coop… But I can pay for those with whatever I earn from crops. I should have enough to buy at least a cow, a sheep, and a chick. And I need workclothes…_

I took out a notepad and pencil and started writing down estimates. Earlier that day after I admitted I planned on becoming a farmer, I quickly walked out and made my way to the farm to avoid any potential wrath from my livid mother. It wouldn't have mattered. Nothing was going to change my mind.

"Hi R-Rose."

I turned around casually and saw Candace standing a few feet behind me, with her hands clasped in front her. I smiled, "Well hello, dear. What are you doing here?"

Candace looked at her hands shyly, "I-I heard t-that you were s-staying. I'm gl-lad you are." She looked up at me and smiled timidly.

_Really? _

My heart was overwhelmed with warmth. "I'm glad too, Candace. I hope you and I will become close friends. You're the sweetest girl I know." I meant it, I really did. For some reason, I couldn't help but feel happy when Candace spoke to me.

Her blue eyes, usually misty with gloominess, instantly lit up to a radiant shade of blue. "R-really? I don't h-have that many… f-friends. In fact," she looked up at me with a little sadness in her face, "I don't have any c-close friends."

I walked over and clasped her hand in mine. "To tell you the truth, neither have I. We have always been moving from place to place. Never really got the chance to know anybody. I guess that's part of the reason I wanted to stay, so I can actually live a normal life with friends and neighbors and all. Trust me when I say I hope we will be friends."

Candace smile widened, "Thank you, I w-wish the same very much."

XXXXXXXXXXX

Candace and I spent about a good hour chatting about all sorts of things before we reached town and parted ways. She and her sister are orphans and they moved here to live with their grandmother years ago. I told her that I still have my mother but have not seen my father in years. They say I get my looks from him though, which I don't quite remember to be honest. We shared a bit more before I headed to town hall to turn in my filled out resident card and also to pick up the deed to my new land. I hugged her after we said goodbye and she walked back home.

I opened the town hall's doors, expecting to see the mayor, only to find Gill at the desk sorting out paperwork. He looked up and seemed annoyed but his annoyance was quickly replaced with a look of surprise.

"Rose, what are you doing here?"

I tilted my head to the side, a little confused. "I came to pick up the lease and give you my estimates…?"

He ran his hand through his platinum blonde hair and sighed, "Oh I apologize. I must've forgotten. I've been busy setting up leases for your family and buying tickets for the ones leaving. Here, let me give you yours."

I couldn't help but giggle a little bit at his frustration. It became a little obvious to me now that Gill didn't always act like himself around me. His fair face would become dusted with pink on his cheeks whenever we looked at each other. His speech would become a little slurred when he tried to talk to me, and he would have a hard time keeping eye contact with me whenever we did talk. It didn't bother me much, I thought it was a little cute. It almost seemed like a child-like infatuation.

_I wonder if Owen ever felt that way…._

My eyes quickly shut and I scrunched my face. My small hands quickly clenched up, my nails digging into my palms.

_Don't ever think about him again, Rose. Not now, not ever!_

I inhaled quietly and walked over to Gill, who was busy looking for my lease. He finally held up some papers and looked pleased.

"Here it is, I almost thought I lost it. I worked all night on this one just for you, Rose-" he quickly stopped talking and looked away. He coughed and continued, "Uh, only because you have asked for a farm, not a mere house like the rest of your family of course."

_Hehe, he is adorable like this._

I giggled at my own private thoughts and took the papers from him, "That's understandable. Thank you, I truly appreciate your hardwork. Now that we are going to be neighbors, it's very comforting to know I have someone I can rely on that is very dependable."

Gill's usually narrow icy eyes widened a bit. He stared at me, perplexed.

_I hope I didn't make him uncomfortable or weird…_

"Um, Gill? My estimates?"

He shook his head again and muttered, "Oh, yeah… right. What do you need?"

He walked over to the mahogany desk and motioned for me to stand on the opposite side facing him. I walked over and took out my list from the pocket of my jean shorts.

"Okay, I need the following: a hoe, a sickle, a watering can, some standard furniture…."

I heard the doors of the town hall open but I didn't bother looking back, I just kept listing items.

"As for purchases, I need seeds, livestock, fertilizer, feed and fodder which in total accumulates to a total of 16, 000 G more or less. I have approximately 100,000 G in my savings so cost shouldn't be much of a problem-"

Gill held up a hand and I paused. I looked at him in confusion.

"Could you wait just a minute, Rose? Let me take care of this resident for a bit. Can I help you, Owen?"

_Oh God….no… no…_

Everything inside me seemed to shut down. My thoughts. My movements. My emotions. Even my heart. I was petrified in fear, terrified of looking back. I wanted at that instant to evaporate into thin air, to disappear, to run away… but I knew I couldn't. I had to stay there and deal with it like a big girl.

Which was absolutely, excruciatingly, painfully unfair.

I couldn't even bring myself to let my hair fall to my face. I just kept staring at my list, hoping Owen would notice me and walk away.

_In disgust maybe…_

Gill rolled his blue eyes, "Look meathead, I don't have time for you to just look at me with your mouth opened like that. What do you want? Can't you see I'm busy with Rose?"

"Uh, right… I'm here for… to give you our list of inventory we need to ship off to the mainland."

I heard footsteps slowly approach the desk. I bowed my head and shut my eyes, hoping this could end quickly.

I dared myself to peek a little out of the corner of my eye and noticed a figure standing next to me. I quickly looked away and made myself stare at the little notepad in my hands. The poor thing was starling to crinkle as my grip tightened and tightened.

There was a small but awkward silence in the room that followed, but thankfully Gill was not a man of patience.

He extended his hand out and grumpily spat, "Hey, you're here to do business with me so stop staring at Rose like that. Just hand me the list and I'll get back to you after I am done with her."

I heard a little rustling of paper. That must've meant that said list was being handed over.

_Come on Rosie, hold it together. Keep quiet and try not to feel anything, don't show him anything. No emotion, nothing._

"Rose?" Gill's voice was much gentler when he said my name. It also startled me a bit since I was too preoccupied with trying not to cry. Or pass out.

I meekly muttered, "Hm?"

"Repeat what you need and I will look for the supplies you need, okay?"

"Uh, sure."

Gill nodded and walked over to a cabinet briskly. He began to pull out items from it.

"Water can, sickle, and hoe… now what else?"

I tightly grasped my notebook for dear life and forced myself to talk, "Uh, references for people that can help with renovation and I need to be fitted for clothing…"

To my great shock, I heard a similar voice next to me gruffly whisper, "Why are you still here?"

_Why is he talking to me? I thought he never wanted to see me again, or even speak to me again._

I almost stopped talking and contemplated talking back, but I absolutely refused. The thought of Owen brought me as much joy as it did misery. Especially when his cruel words kept repeating in my head.

"_I can't even stand the sight of you…. How could you Rose?"_

"S-some basic furniture like a cabinet, a few guide books would be great especially about the history of Castanet, a map of the island, a list of natural resources I could forage…."

"You were supposed to be gone, I thought you were done with wooeing every man on this island…"

That one hurt. My voice almost cracked and I had to pause so I could regain my composure.

_Why are you doing this to me?_

"Ahem…inventory books, parchment, any office supplies. Also, I no longer have need for my costumes. I can sell those or give them away if needed. And that's it."

By then, Gill had a large box stuffed with some supplies I had listed. He walked over to the phone on his desk and dialed a number. After waiting for a few seconds, he said, "Hello, Sonata Tailoring? This is Gill. Yes, I'm well thank you. Listen, I have a young lady who just became a new resident who needs to be fitted for working clothes… No, no, no not dance costumes… Yes, I know you don't have that many rhinestones…. It's clothes for farming, specifically. I'm sure you know her, she's one of the dancers. Name? Ah, Rosalie. But she goes by Rose."

I quietly cursed under my breath. My cover has been completely blown. Gill was giving me away so effortlessly; by the end of the phone call, I bet Owen would even know what crops I planned on growing two seasons from now.

_Well Rose, you couldn't really expect to hide from him for the rest of the time you would live here. Get real. He probably doesn't even care._

"Yes, I agree Shelly." Gill looked up at me and gave me a small smile, "She would be a lovely new addition to this town. Exactly what we needed."

His smile contained a newfound confidence I haven't seen from him before. He looked as if he really wanted me to know that he was glad I'm staying. The sudden revelation caused me to blush, much to my surprise and embarrassment. I looked away but smiled a bit anyway.

_It helped to know that some people were happy to see me and weren't disgusted by the mere thought of me…._

"I'll send her right over. Bye, now."

Gill hung up the phone and looked at me, "Well that ought to take care of it. Go over to Sonata Tailoring and get fitted. Tell them I sent you. I'll make a few calls to the carpenter and other places to let them know that you need supplies. Here's a list of phone numbers. Also, the box of supplies is pretty heavy. Maybe Owen could…."

I knew what he was going to say. Before Gill could even finish his sentence I quickly shook my head, "No, my brother can pick it up later today. Thank you so much, Gill. See you around."

In three quick steps, I was gone.

XXXXXXXXXX

Although the walk to Sonata Tailoring wasn't far at all, my thoughts about Owen tormented me so much, I felt like I was walking through thick honey the entire time. It was hard to tell how he reacted to knowing that I would be living in Castanet since I absolutely refused to look at him. But I did remember catching Gill say something about him looking at me instead of him.

_What does that even mean? It doesn't necessarily mean he was looking at you in a good way though…_

As I opened the doors to the tailor's, my thoughts were quickly stopped as a little figure quickly side- stepped in front of me.

"Hi! Welcome to Sonata Tailoring! Unless you're not buying anything in which case, get out!"'

The little figure was a young woman roughly around my age but a little shorter than me. She had brilliant light pink hair, quaintly decorated with small white flowers, a fashionable dress with matching Mary Janes, and large blue eyes. She reminded me of a porcelain doll, although she seemed anything but fragile.

I cleared my throat, "I uh, was sent here by Gill."

Her large eyes lit up in excitement and she clasped her hands together, "Oh, you're that one dancer! I LOVE your clothes by the way. Especially that one red dress you wore, hehe. Love it. My sister tells me you're very nice to her, so I like you already!" She tossed her pink hair to the side in a very girly fashion, "I'm Luna by the way. You need fashion help, you can come to me anytime."

_Sister?_

I bowed to her politely, "Very nice to meet you, Luna. I'm Rose. I'm sorry you mentioned a sister, who is it if I may ask?"

"Candace, of course! Yeah yeah yeah, I know we don't look alike but believe it or not we areeee." She coyly laughed and turned her head to the back of the store.

"Grandma, Candy! She's hereee!"

XXXXXXXXXX

It's either a small world indeed or Castanet must be tinier than I thought. To my surprise, the sweet old woman named Shelley was the same Shelley I met a few days ago and she also happened to be the grandmother of both Candace and Luna. What startled me the most is the fact that Luna was Candace's sister. But how? They were complete opposites!

Well I'm not one to talk. My sister and I aren't only just polar opposites, we look like we are from different ethnicities….

There was tiny me with bright red hair, violet eyes, serious disposition and secretly shy. Then there was statuesque Marina with her brown eyes, black hair, olive skin, and brazen personality. My skin is only slightly darker because of the hours I've spent under the sun.

After a few hours of standing up, having my measurements taken, and getting to know the owners more, I was told that I would have my clothes shipped to my house. I thankfully accepted and promised to visit soon.

"Join Irene and I for tea soon, my dear." Shelley said sweetly as she waved goodbye to me.

"Yeah, and don't be shy to stop by! Maybe you could show me how to design the outfits your dance group wears, hehe!" Luna giggled. Candace just waved at me in silence but with a smile on her face. God, those two must be clear reflection of the kind of relationship Marina and I have….

"Thank you, I will! Goodbye for now!"

I stepped outside and checked my watch. _9:00 pm._

_Well I don't want to go home- to my new home- yet. It's been such a long time since I have slept alone. And I have never lived alone. Hm… I wonder if Marina got that job at the bar. I can check there._

I checked myself in the reflection of the window of the tailor shop. My red hair looked a little disheveled so I ran my fingers through it so it would tidy up a bit. I didn't bother much with makeup today, so all I had on was mascara and eyeliner. I straightened my clothes up and headed to the bar.

I was expecting another friendly greeting from the owners of the bar but instead I bumped into a heated argument between my sister and…. Selena.

_Shit._

"You can't have my job! I was here first, you stupid whore!"

"I don't want your stupid job, you basic bitch! I do more than just belly dance, unlike you! Hayden, tell her!"

Poor Hayden stood in the middle of both screaming women, unsure of what to say. Another young woman with blonde hair I have seen work in the bar was trying to mediate but her pleas were unheard.

"Girls please! I'm sure we can all work something out! Just please don't fight, you're drawing the attention of customers away from their conversations…."

After I closed the door behind me, everyone turned their heads towards me. I just stood there with my eyes wide open, "Uh, did I come at a wrong time or something?"

Hayden looked relieved, "Oh no, you came at a perfect time! These girls are having some scheduling conflicts, maybe you can help them out?"

I looked over at the two girls. Selena looked absotuely horrified to see me. When she saw me, she shrilled out hysterically, "What are you doing here?! You're not supposed to be here! Why the hell are you here?!"

_Yeah, I already heard that today…_

I shrugged," Surprise."

Despite the fact that it was Selena's fault that I was in such a miserable situation that brought me a lot of pain, it was much easier to talk to her than it was with Owen. She didn't make my heart go crazy or my mind out of sorts. I just didn't like her.

Marina pointed an angry finger at Selena's direction, "I asked Hayden for a job here and he was totally okay with it! I can work later shifts but Selena refuses to even let me work in the same place! Tell her it's wrong and that I have every right to work wherever the hell I want."

"Why are you asking me? Ask the mayor."

Marina rolled her dark eyes dramatically and raised her arms above her head. "Gee I don't know, didn't you double major in something like that?"

"It was International Relations, Nina…."

"Yeah whatever that is. Just use your smarties right now, please?" She looked at Selena and taunted, "You about to learn today, bitch."

Selena tried to lunge herself at Marina but the blonde haired woman held her back with quite impressive strength. I quickly stepped in, "Look Selena, whether you like it or not, you can't keep Marina from working here. You're an employee, not an employer so it's Hayden's choice not yours."

_Doesn't anybody know that? Damn, she's either basic or that spiteful…_

Selena quickly turned her head to Hayden and begged desperately, "I've worked for you for so long! I have brought more customers here thanks to me, and I've showed up everyday. I'm sore all the freaking time but I don't care, I love this job too much to stop!"

_Pfft, he doesn't even know you're an illegal stowaway…_

Hayden smiled sympathetically, "Now now, Selena. I'm not firing you, I simply want to hire someone else for the hours you can't work."

"That's not a bad idea. Selena could start from opening time to 10:00 pm, then Marina can take over from that time till closing time. Does that work for you, Hayden?" I said, hoping that that would. The poor man looked very overwhelmed. He was quite kind as well, so I really wanted to help him out if I could.

A smile formed on his rugged face and he nodded, "I like that idea! Okay girls, you heard her. Marina, you start in an hour. Any more complaints, and I'm letting you go for the night without pay. Now if you excuse me, I have customers that need to get drunk off their minds after witnessing this fight. And by customers, I mean me."

He quickly walked away, hoping not to be caught up in another fight. I had to give it to him, he certainly had patience for girls. Selena marched after him and Marina triumphantly walked towards the now empty dance floor.

A tap on my shoulder caught my attention and I turned my head to find myself face to face with the lovely blonde girl. She smiled at me and extended her hand towards me, "Hello! We haven't been formally introduced but I have seen you a couple of times already, you're quite a commodity here! My name is Kathy by the way, thanks for helping us back there!"

I shook her hand, "It was nothing really, I've had practice with my sister shoving me into situations like that. Truth be told, I'm not even that good at it. I'm Rose, it's nice to meet you Kathy."

She cocked her head and winked at me, "Come in for a free drink with me tomorrow! It's the least I can do for you. Oh! You should also come to Flute Fields with me for a horse ride sometime, you should meet my dear friend Renee! You both kind of look alike! Right now I have to get back to work and serve the customers, but please make yourself at home!"

We waved at each other goodbye and I headed to Marina's spot on the dance floor. She was inspecting the floor closely but when she saw me, her full lips formed a large smile.

"You shoulda been a lawyer or something Rose, you always know what to say. I'm so excited! I'm gonna be the better dancer, just you wait! I'm just making sure that psycho didn't spill any water or marbles on the dance floor…."

I noticed a piano in the corner with a bench; I walked over and sat down, crossed my legs and leaned back casually.

"Marina, you want to work late because you know Luke comes here at that time, right?"

Her olive cheeks turned pink and she looked away, "That obvious, huh?"

"No, but it is to someone who has known you your entire life. Nina, you hate missing sleep. There's no other reason why you would want a late shift. But I was just guessing."

Marina ran her fingers through her long, thick hair. She looked as if she was trying to find the right thing to say.

"Oh Rosie, I really like him. I want to see him as much as I can but he's always working. I need to stay productive so I can pay my rent and see him too, so this was the best option. Don't worry, I won't slack off." Marina looked up at me with a determined smile on her lovely face, "I'll only be much better because the thought of him seeing me will keep me going."

I grinned and nodded, "More power to you, sis."

Next thing I knew, I heard Maya's voice call out my name.

"ROOOOSIIEEEEE!"

I turned and saw her walk towards me with Luna and Candace following her. I grinned happily and waved at them.

"Hey there, what's up?"

Maya ran up to me and hugged me, which caught me completely off guard. I've never been hugged by someone that wasn't related to me before. Sad fact, but it's true.

"Is it really true that you're living here?! That is so cool! We are gonna have so much fun! I heard you're gonna be a farmer! Sweet! Can I ride your cow? Can you make me cake from your animal products?"

Luna walked over and flicked Maya's forehead, "Don't be such a glutton! You don't want her to change her mind and leave, do you? Besides, we wanted to ask Rose for drinks not her food!"

Maya flinched in pain, "But why not both?"

I laughed in amusement. I could already tell these girls were going to bring so much color to my life indeed.

"I can't really drink now, I start work tomorrow. But how about some dancing? I think I promised Maya I would teach her some technique."

Maya and Luna looked at me in astonishment. Both of them jumped up and down in excitement. "Teach us please!"

XXXXXXXXXX

Marina technically had an hour before work so we had the entire dance floor to ourselves. Everyone else in the bar was too busy chatting and drinking to notice so it wasn't that bothersome to me. I doubted Ramsey, Dale or Cain would bother to watch a group of us silly girls try to dance.

We settled on practicing house dancing, a particular favorite of Marina's. After explaining a brief description of the dance, Marina and I proceeded to demonstrate with some examples. We started with very basic footwork before complicating it a bit. Luna and Maya surprisingly had no trouble keeping up but Candace did. She was tremendously shy, even in front of us.

"Don't worry Candace, no one will laugh at you. I will drop kick anyone that dares to!" I told her, hoping it would reassure her.

She looked around the bar nervously, "What if they see me?"

I smiled, "It doesn't matter. Why would they say anything? They're not trying, you are! Trust me, I'm just as shy as you. But when I dance, I forget about being shy because it makes me so happy. Maybe dance is what you need to help boost your confidence and overcome your shyness."

Candace managed to look at me in the face and whimpered, "R-really? You really t-think so?"

I winked, "One way to find out."

Then I had an idea and clapped my hands together.

"But if we are gonna do this, we better do it to something you like. Is there a particular style of dance you have always wanted to do?" I smiled, "Pick anything at all, I will know it."

Candace's blue hair fell lightly across her face and she stared at the floor deep in thought. I barely heard what she said next.

"Well…. I s-s-saw that dance you and Owen d-did at Med-Medley Night. C-can you t-teach me?"

My smile faded a little bit. I was still more than happy to teach my new friend anything, but the mention of Owen's name brought a certain degree of sadness to my heart. My heart ached at the memories of us dancing under the bright lanterns without a care of who was watching. Oh, Owen…

"Su-sure. Anything you want. Come here and stand next to me, let me show you how to sway your hips."

I fought with myself to keep my focus solely on Candace instead of… instead of… him. It was hard to do when we were dancing to what Owen and I….

_STOP IT ROSE, LET HIM GO. Any man that believes a bimbo over you is not worth it…_

"A-am I doing it right, Rose?" Candace was originally a little stiff but I finally got her to sway in a more natural way. I looked at her in admiration; I certainly wasn't expecting her to pick up bachata that quick.

"You got it! Now two steps to the right, then two steps to the left. No, don't stop moving your hips! Yeah, right like that. Now let's do a simple turn…. There you go!"

Candace's smile grew so much, I was startled at how big her smile was. I would have never guessed this shy, sweet girl could ever be this excited!

"I… I'm doing it, Rose! Any more moves you can teach me?" She looked at me in excitement. I nodded and held up a finger with a sly grin on my face, "Of course. Let's do the funnest part. Turns and spins!"

We were so caught up in the moment that I never noticed the doors of the bar open. I didn't even notice who it was until I got so dizzy from turning and happened to stop in the direction of the doors. Although I was completely out of breath from all the swaying and turning, I stopped altogether when I saw who it was.

Owen stood there, just watching me with an expressionless look on his face. He was with Luke, who saw me as well and waved at me. He started to walk towards me with a smile on his face, but Owen just stood there. But he still kept his eyes on me. And I kept mine on his.

I didn't even notice Luke greet me before he walked over to my sister and led her to an empty table. I didn't know how to react, or what I should have done. I almost considered walking over and asking him why he was hurting me so much.

_But when you're Rose, life never works out that way._

"Baby, there you are! I was wondering when I would see you. I had the most awful day, I have to tell you everything!"

That familiar shrilly voice belonged to Selena. And by then, she had already flung herself at Owen and thrown her arms around his thick neck He looked a little confused when he looked down and saw the red haired siren staring coyly back at him. Owen's hands almost instinctively caught her waist but he just kept them there. She pulled him closer to her in a tight embrace. Which he reciprocated.

_He held me like that yesterday. God, why didn't I see this coming? I should have known that it was too good to be true. He's too beautiful to be this kind… He probably used me instead of the other way around… He knows he could._

I looked away from them and felt a lump on my throat. I almost yelled out in pain when I realized that I dug my nails too deeply into my palms. I brought my hands up and noticed a little bit of blood. Despite the sight, I clenched them up again.

Note to self: cut fingernails.

_How could I ever have thought this was my fault? I didn't do anything wrong, Selena convinced him I did. Yet here he is, treating her the way he treated me not even less than 24 hours ago. Who moves on that quickly? Unless… he never felt anything towards me in the first place. Why would he do that to me? He thinks I'm just a whore…_

"Hey Rose? A-are you okay?"

Candace put a hand on my shoulder and looked at me with a worried look on her face. Behind her stood Maya and Luna, who looked flushed as well as concerned.

"Yeah, you don't look so hot. You look pale as a ghost! Are you sick, sweetie?" Luna asked. She stood on her toes to try to put a palm on my forehead.

"I know what you need! Do you want chestnut pie? It makes me sooo happy when I'm sad!" Maya piped up. She looked a little too happy at the thought of pie. I tend to forget how much Maya LOVES food.

Luna rolled her eyes and snapped, "Why would she want food if she's sick? Unless… you really are sad. Are you, Rose?"

"Yes, are you?" Candace said. "I s-saw you pause and stare at something with a blank look on your face before you looked away. I-I thought you were gonna throw up or something."

I forced a smile, "It's okay, I-I-Im…. I'm…"

_I'm hurting. I'm angry. I'm sad. I'm bitter. I'm disappointed. I'm __**not**__ okay._

I was this close to admitting to them the source of all my problems in such a fragile state until I heard someone clear their throat behind me. I turned around hesitantly.

"Well good evening, ladies. It's a beautiful night, isn't it?"

Calvin tipped his hat at all of us and gallantly flashed that signature crooked smile of his. Maya and Luna giggled and bowed cutely at him. Candace bowed as well but kept her eyes on the ground.

"Hi Calvin, it's nice to see you as always," Luna said a little bit too flirtatiously. Maya twiddled with one of her braids as she batted her eyelashes at Calvin.

"The pleasure is all mine, ma'am." He turned his gaze at me and smiled, "I heard you were staying for good here. Had to come see it for myself to know it was real. I gotta say, I thought it was a dream."

He chuckled in embarrassment but I just stood there, staring at him. I didn't mean to, I just didn't know what to say after all those emotions I felt upon seeing Owen.

"Oooh, don't mind us. We were just going home! Goodnight, you twooooo!" Luna winked at us before shoving both her sister and a dazed Maya out the door, leaving Calvin and I standing by ourselves.

As I watched them leave, I noticed that Owen and Selena had taken a seat not too far away from where Calvin and I were standing. Selena was chatting mindlessly about something I couldn't hear, but Owen seemed less than engaged or even interested.

He just kept staring at his drink, occasionally nodding here and there. I noticed his grey eyes kept trying to flick up towards my direction but I think he knew I was watching him, so his eyes would go back to his drink.

I turned my attention back to Calvin and quickly tried to think of something to say.

"H-hi. What's up?"

_I'm horrible at conversations, mother of God…._

Calvin eyes twinkled a bit, "Like I said, I had to find out if you were staying. I have to say, I've never been this excited to have a new neighbor before. Especially such a lovely lady, like yourself."

I swallowed hard. Wow, I've never had someone compliment me the way this guy does. Does he mean it though? How can I know? I've been mislead terribly before…

"I… I don't know what to say."

"Then say yes."

I looked up at him in confusion, "Yes to what?"

_If this turns out to be a proposal, I don't know how to tell him that this is not how I imagined being proposed to._

Calvin took my small hand in his and held up near his chest, "To dinner with me. What do you say? Will you go out with me tomorrow night?"

_I did not see that one coming._

I peeked over Calvin's shoulder to look at Owen's table. This time Owen made no effort to hide the fact that he was staring at us. He stared with an almost alert, and a little furious, look on his face.

For some reason, it made me angry.

_Why are you even mad? You're the one that can't even stand the sight of me over something I am not even to blame for. And it's more than obvious that you're with someone else, maybe even to spite me. Well I refuse to feel sadness over you. I would much rather feel anger towards you. I don't deserve to hurt over someone like you._

"Rose?" Calvin put a finger on my chin and turned my face towards him. My eyes opened wide in surprise at his sudden move.

_How can one man be so smooth?_

He looked a little anxious. "Rose, I know I come off a little too forward. But I take pride in knowing what I want. And I want to get to know you better. If you want to call it a friend, you can. But I just want you to know that I won't hurt you. In fact, I am rather fond of you. And I would want nothing more but to court you. So, would you give me a chance to at least get to know you better?"

_Court me?! He is interested in me that way? Wow… even Owen couldn't bring himself to tell me anything like that. Probably because he wasn't interested in anything like that. To him, I was just a one-time thing just like Selena said. _

I blinked a few times before I could think of something to say. Looking into Calvin's blue eyes made me wonder if maybe I was looking at the wrong guy this whole time…

"Why?" That's all I managed to say.

Calvin smiled a bit, "Well, where can I start? Obviously, I think you're a beautiful woman. Though you're quite tiny I must admit, haha."

I almost pouted at that. Just a force of habit of mine I've had since I was a child. I hated my height.

He continued, "You're small but you possess this quality that makes you seem almost six feet tall. This assertiveness, this look on your face when you dance. If you don't mind me saying so, you have quite a womanly body as well. It must be your dancing or your exoticness, but I have never seen such curves. It gives you more maturity."

_Should I slap him or something? Is that appropriate to say? What would Mama do…_

"No, don't get me wrong, that's not what caught my interest. But your physical attractiveness caught my attention. I've never seen such deep violet eyes before, or such brilliant red hair before. But the best part, was talking to you. You are so intelligent and cultured, I almost felt inferior to such wit and brains. But you were so kind, so gentle…"

_Is this a confession? No one has ever had the guts to admit such intimate detail before. Does this mean it's real?_

"Rose, I feel like I know you yet I feel like I don't at the same time. I want to get to know this wonderful girl that seems to shut out everyone from her heart. I want to know if I can do anything to show her how much she's worth and how much she means to everyone. Will you let me?"

_Take a chance, Rose. Let Owen go, he hurt you. He won't believe you, but he'll believe his lying ex. He obviously still has feelings for her, so let them be and be happy._

I took another peek and noticed Owen again. He looked livid and he glared at me with a look in his grey eyes that almost seemed unkind. I couldn't tell if he felt jealousy or disgust…. I don't even know why I bother trying to figure out. It's not worth it. It shouldn't be.

_Yes._

I pushed my hair out of my face with my free hand and nodded at Calvin. At this time, I had no idea what else I could possibly say with all these emotions overtaking my heart and my mind. I smiled at him to reassure him of my decision. His smile turned to a grin and I could see his perfectly straight teeth for the first time. Calvin raised my hand to his lips and kissed it, never taking his eyes off of me.

I'm not a vengeful person but if this is how Owen wants to play it, then fine. If he wants to flaunt his relationship with his ex- girlfriend after everything he told me to hurt me, then fine. I will fight to try to move on, but before I do, I'm going to make sure I hit him where it hurts at least once. Just so he knows what kind of pain he made me feel. The pain of knowing that you weren't the only one.

"You can call me Rosalie, if you'd like."


	15. Chloe's Visit

**Author's Note: Thanks to some sweet reviews, I decided to post a chapter right away! I decided to include a whole lot of dialogue in this one so I hope you like it:) as always please critique and let me know what you think! It gives me a drive to post more frequently:)**

**Enjoy!**

I don't know why I did it.

I just… did.

At the time, it felt right. I would be lying if I said it didn't feel good to do it though. Now that I think about it, I wonder if it was morally right to do. I've never been that… impulsive before.

_What is this man doing to me?! Ever since I met Owen, my whole world has been in upheaval… I don't even understand myself anymore._

It was a little over 11:00 pm and I was taking the dirt path that would lead me back to my new home. The walk was a little far so I kept myself indulged in my own thoughts as always. I kept thinking about what happened earlier.

Calvin had smiled at me and asked to meet me at the Brass Bar at 6:00 pm the next day. I had managed to spurt out a "yes" before he turned and walked away. I looked at his retreating back for a bit before I turned my head. I unwittingly ended up meeting Owen's fierce grey eyes, which startled me a little on the inside. He just stared at me with an almost shocked but furious expression. His hand gripped the back of his chair and he was almost fully turned towards me, seemingly contemplating getting up. By now Selena noticed that her boyfriend was glaring at me and she quickly turned around. Her red eyes narrowed when she saw me and she quickly faced Owen and seemed to be telling him something rapidly. By the looks of her body language, I deduced that she was trying to convince Owen to stop glaring.

Well, I'm no home wrecker. I straightened my back and I managed to return Owen's impenetrable glare with an indifferent glance. I tossed my long hair to my back and marched out of there, trying my best to maintain a dignified stance.

I think it worked, in retrospect.

I finally could see my little farm in the distance. I noticed a dark silhouette by the door holding something large. I narrowed my eyes and made out the shape to be my brother, Adam.

He noticed me and put down the big box he was carrying and gave me a hug.

"Hey hey, Ms. Independent! I have your supplies here." Adam pointed at the large box behind him.

I waved and smiled at him.

"Hey! Sorry for the last minute request, I appreciate you coming here."

I took out the key from my pocket and opened the door to my new home.

_Wow, it's a whole lot nicer on the inside. Did the mayor arrange this?_

To my great surprise, the house was actually furnished. There was a stocked bookshelf, a kitchen, a kitchen table, some chairs, a chest, a cabinet, and a small bed. The mayor really came through for me; I would have to thank him tomorrow for arranging all this for me.

My brother walked past me and placed the box next to the chest. He stood up, stretched his back and wiped some sweat off his forehead.

"Whew, it's a lot heavier than it seems. What do you have in here anyway? Metal?"

I grinned, "Close. Tools."

Adam's eyes widened and he shook his head, "Wow, you are really serious about this farming deal, huh? Why Rose?"

I opened the box and began unpacking its contents into the chest.

"I want to do something productive, I want to be of use to people that's all."

"Don't you have two degrees? You could be a lawyer, or even a CEO."

"No, that's not the life for me," I chuckled as I placed the last of my items into the chest. I closed the chest and tucked away the empty box.

"Here, I found this outside the doorstep," Adam said as he handed me a smaller box labeled 'Sonata Tailoring'. "Now, tell me the truth. Why did you want to stay here out of all places? What about Hawaii? France? Even Spain?"

I took the package from him and opened it. It was my set of new clothes; I gently folded them into my cabinet. I thought carefully about Adam's questions as I placed a new pair of jeans over a brand new shirt.

"To be quite honest, I'm still not sure why. A little bit of everything has to do with it. The atmosphere, the townspeople, the places…"

"And Owen?"

_Wait, how does he know about that?!_

I tried to act indifferent, "I don't know what you're talking about."

Adam's large hand reached over and grabbed my wrist firmly. I looked at him in exasperation. I knew something was in his mind. Thing is I wasn't sure if I wanted to talk about it…

With a solemn voice, he said, "Look sis, I notice a whole lot more than you think. Maybe more than Marina. I only wish you could have talked to me first about this instead. A guy understands a guy better than a girl does. Besides… when was the last time you ever opened up to me?"

Oh no, he's right. My poor little brother… he's not so little anymore. I tend to forget he has grown to be quite a tall man, and despite being the youngest he was quite mature for his age. It's not that I meant to leave him out in the dark, I just didn't want to bother my youngest sibling with my troubles. I had no idea he was very interested in me and my personal life.

I looked down at the floor, feeling a little shameful. I pointed at my kitchen table, "Take a seat."

XXXXXXXXXX

"Man, " Adam grumbled as he ran a large hand through his dark hair, "I thought this Owen guy was great. I had no idea he could be so spiteful."

I placed a cup of herbal tea in front of him and sat down across from him so I could take a sip of mine. It wasn't much but herbs were very bountiful around my farm, so this was all I had until I could buy actual food instead of foraging for some.

"I can't say if that's his true nature. He wasn't like that until Selena started to fill his mind with awful rumors about me."

Adam arched an eyebrow and crossed his arms, "Rumors? What kind of rumors?"

I leaned back on my chair and groaned. I really didn't want to tell Adam the things that were said but after all, he was my only brother. He was just trying to look after me.

Not to mention I'm the lousiest liar.

I coughed and stared at my tea mug.

"Uh… she may have heavily implied that I was a seductress that offered men… a little more than just a dance."

"I don't understand what you mean."

I cleared my throat uncomfortably, "She… called me a whore. And that I earn my living by tempting men into coming to our shows to gain more audiences and exposure…"

"But what did she mean about 'offering more than just a dance'?" Adam's voice rose a little bit. His face looked almost alarmed.

_God, this is embarrassing…_

I propped my elbow on the table and rested my face against the palm of my hand and weakly smiled at my brother, "Have you ever heard of a happy ending?"

Adam's brown eyes looked bloodshot. He quickly stood up from his chair, so fast that his chair toppled over backwards. I winced a little.

"Adam, calm down."

"How can I calm down, Rose?! There's someone out there saying such horrible lies about you and you're just gonna let her!? Can't you do something? Like use some legal terms?"

Now it was my turn to raise my eyebrows, "You guys need to stop treating me like I'm a lawyer or something…"

"Can't you sue for something like… like slander per se?"

I sighed and raised my mug to my lips, "No because I'm no longer working as a dancer. So her slandering me won't affect my work or anything."

Adam scratched the back of his neck, "I don't get it…"

"If I was still dancing and her slander affected my work- people not wanting to hire me, for instance- then I could technically sue her for slander per se. But I don't dance. I'm a farmer now. Not to mention… it's only Owen she told."

I drank the rest of my hot drink, scalding my tongue in the process. But I didn't notice, because I was still thinking of that bitter memory…

"Anyway, how do you know what slander per se is?"

Adam looked surprised and quickly looked away, "Uh… Mom wouldn't let me attend college because she said I didn't need to. So when you started school, I would peek at your books from time to time."

"Do you want to go to school, Adam? I can help-"

He quickly shook his head and raised his hands up, "No it's not about me right now. We can talk about me later. Right now, I want to know what you plan on doing next."

I shrugged, "Nothing. Live my life. Plant shit. Clean up cow manure. Farmer stuff, you know."

I left out the part involving Calvin and me. God knows the last thing my overprotective brother needs to know is that there is another man in the picture.

Adam laughed and sat down on his chair again. He picked up his tea mug and took a long sip.

"Nice try, but your sarcasm won't distract me from the point I'm trying to make. Look, I honestly don't think Owen is that bad of a guy. Maybe this chick is really manipulative and messing with his head or something. Girls do that, just not the good ones. So let me give you some advice, wait it out and observe."

"Adam," I protested, "I have better things to do."

_Just let me dwell in my misery in peace, man._

"No hear me out first! I'll be watching too, you won't be alone. Just take it a day at a time and see if this thing between him and Selena is real. If it's not, he will surely see through her and her bullshit lies. And if he's man enough, he'll be apologizing in no time."

_If only…_

XXXXXXXXXX

_6:00 am. Day one of Spring 12._

I got up bright and early. I rubbed my sleepy eyes before dragging my tired self to the bathroom. I quickly brushed my teeth and dressed into the work clothes I laid out for myself the night before: a yellow t-shirt with an orange tank over it, red jean shorts, and combat boots. To finish my look, I put on a rucksack and put my tools inside of it.

The sun was barely up and I was met with a gentle, cool breeze. Today was going to be simple enough: I was to prepare the soil by removing weeds and stones then finish off by tilling the soil.

For a good part of my day, I was on my knees pulling out weeds and rolling stones out of the way. By the time I was almost done, the sun was already out and I was already drenched in sweat.

_Holy crap, this is a whole lot more time consuming than I thought. It helps that dancing has kept me strong enough to be able to use up this much stamina but it's so hard!_

"Rose! Rose, where are you?!"

I looked up from pulling weeds out of the ground and brought a hand to my face to shield my eyes from the bright sun. I squinted and saw a little figure running towards me. A large smile grew on my face.

"Chloe!"

I waved enthusiastically, thrilled to see my little ray of sunshine. She caught up to me and collapsed on the ground, panting profusely.

I giggled, "How long were you running?"

Chloe stuck a thumb out and pointed it behind her, "All… the….way… from… home…"

I frowned, "Chloe, it's only 9:00 am. Did you even eat?"

She propped her little body up and giggled mischievously, "Hehe, nope. Grandpa and Owen didn't even know I left!"

_Oh man, I think I'm in trouble now…_

I stood up and wiped the dirt off my legs. Well, first things first, this child has to be fed.

"Come on, I can make you something to eat. The carpenter is coming later, so maybe he can walk you home."

_So I don't have to… or he doesn't have to…._

XXXXXXXXXXX

Chloe quickly wolfed down the omelet rice and blueberry juice I made for her. I just sat there, watching her as I wondered what I should do next.

_I should send someone here to take Chloe home. I am pretty sure her cousin is likely to look for her… the last thing I want is for __**him**__ to come __**here**__… oh Rose, don't be so scared. If all else fails, just go take her back. Chloe comes first._

A knock on the door brought me back to reality. I quickly got up and opened the door.

Luke and Dale stood there, arms loaded with tools and paint.

"Hiya!" Luke piped up, "We're here to remodel your place-" He quickly shut up when he looked over the room and noticed Chloe. His yellow eyes opened wide.

"Chloe!"

Chloe looked up innocently and answered back with a mouthful of eggs in her mouth, "Hi."

She quickly went back to shoveling food in her mouth. The sight of her eating so ravenously made me smile for some reason. It was quite a sight to see someone so tiny eat so much.

Luke looked at me in alarm, "How long has she been here? Her grandpa and Owen have been worried sick! They've been asking around and searching and everything!"

Dale put his hand on Luke's shoulder, "Calm down, Luke. She's obviously in good hands. Now I have to get back to work, I think I'll get started on the roof first." He looked at me and smiled, "I'll do my best, miss."

I bowed gratefully, "I would be more than happy to bring out refreshments for you two! I owe you both so much!"

Before Dale could accept my offer, Luke held up a hand and shook his head, "Hey! Dad this is serious, Chloe's family was worried sick! I better tell them she's okay!"

He took off so fast, I had to yell out at him, "As long as you just **tell **them!"

XXXXXXXXXX

As Dale worked on my house, I brought him a pitcher of homemade blackberry juice which he happily accepted and gulped up. I walked back to my field and began tilling the soil as Chloe kept herself busy by exploring my farm and asking me all sorts of questions after she finished.

"Can I help you pick out your animals?"

"Can you name one of your animals after me?"

"Can you teach me how to plant stuff?"

"If I swallow a watermelon seed, would a watermelon grow inside my tummy?"

Her questions never failed to make me laugh. It surprisingly kept my mind occupied from all the hard work I was doing on the field. Tilling the soil turned out to be 100 times harder than pulling weeds and removing stones. Calluses were starting to form on my hands and my back was starting to hurt. But I kept going. Chloe's conversation kept my spirits high enough.

"Sure you can help sweetie, and I can teach you anything you'd like. And no, I highly doubt a watermelon would grow in your tummy," I laughed gently. I raised my hoe, ready to bring it down with enough force to sink it deep into the soil.

"How do you know about farming anyway, Rose?" Chloe asked, serious all of the sudden.

I brought the hoe down over my head and looked at her, puzzled. "Why do you ask?"

She sat on the grass and shrugged, "Because I thought you danced all your life."

I smiled at her and rested against my hoe, "Well, that's true. But my grandmother was a farmer in a very pretty but very small place called Forget-Me-Not Valley. When her father died, she took over his farm and learned how to be a very good farmer. She had a lot of help from a good, but gruff young man. Even though he was not that friendly or social, he cared about her and tried to help her as much as she could. Before she passed away, I used to visit her farm every summer and helped out as much as I could."

Chloe's little face made a grimace and she pouted.

"Wow, he sounds like such a meanie!"

"Haha, well at times he was. It turns out he was just very shy. My mother used to say I got my shyness from him, actually."

"I bet she disliked him and told him that she never wanted to talk to him again!"

I laughed, "Doubt it. She ended up marrying him."

Chloe's eyes widened and her jaw dropped. She exclaimed, "Are you serious?"

I nodded and went back to tilling my soil. "You'd be surprised who people end up with in the end. Life is funny that way."

"What was her name?"

"Who?"

"Your granny!"

"Oh. Her name was Saphira."

Chloe stood up and in an almost waltz-like trance twirled over to me, "I like that name! And her story sounds romantic! Do you think you'll find your future husband like that?"

I almost dropped my hoe.

"Uh… I don't know how to answer that. I'm not really looking, haha…" I said nervously, unsure of how to answer a question like that from a child. I quickly bent down to pick up my hoe and resumed tilling the soil a little too furiously this time.

_Be cool, Rose. Don't let her get on to you…_

Chloe stepped in front of me and looked up at me with an excited look on her face.

"Oh! I know who I want to marry! Tell you what Rosie, I'll trade you my cousin for your brother, whaddya say?"

_Oh no, now Ramsey is really gonna kill me. After he kills Adam._

I bent down and I met Chloe's bright eyes.

"I'd give you my brother for free if it was up to me. Or if he was your age… Point is, life doesn't work that way Chloe. If people are meant for each other, then everything will happen naturally. Besides, Owen has Selena and it wouldn't be fair to take that away from him, now would it?"

_Wow, saying that actually made me feel pretty crappy. Poker face, Rose. Stay cool._

Chloe looked at the ground and grumbled, "It would be fair to all of us actually. Whenever she's with him, he's not even happy. He's quiet or stressed most of the time. He tries to spend more time in the mines. He even avoids bringing her home… I liked it better when it was you-"

"Chloe!" a distant voice cried out.

I groaned loudly.

_Aw come on! She was just finishing! Couldn't you just give me a few more minutes, freaking universe?!_

We turned towards the sound of Chloe's name and surprise, surprise… that voice belonged to Owen. He was jogging towards us with Luke right behind him.

I narrowed my eyes dangerously when I saw Luke… oh, there will be blood. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but soon….

Chloe turned towards Owen and waved, "Hiii! Don't worry about me, Rose took care of me all day! I'm okay, we were just talking about-"

I quickly reached over and covered her mouth, "Uh, that's alright Chloe. I think all that matters is that you're okay."

Owen slowed down and stopped some distance away from us. He looked at Chloe, then his gaze turned towards me. I quickly looked away from his gaze and spoke to Chloe, "I think it's time to go home, sweetie. Promise you'll visit me soon."

The little redhead turned towards me with a sudden sad look on her face. Her lower lip trembled a bit.

"But…but I don't want to go home. I had so much fun here!" She turned back to Owen, "Will you let me stay just a bit longer?"

He seemed at a loss of words as he kept looking from me to Chloe, then back to me again. Owen cleared his throat, "Uh, I can't let you do that. You have chores to do back home, kiddo. Gramps's orders."

Chloe frowned and crossed her arms, "But that's boring! Why don't you try my chores for once instead of smashing rocks all day? Then you'll really understand the struggle!"

I quickly raised my hand up to cover my mouth, but despite my efforts, I bursted out in giggles.

_The struggle, eh? Chloe sure has a way with words._

Owen and Chloe both looked at me strangely. I quickly shook my head and pointed towards Owen, "You heard him, sweetie. You have your own work, I have my own, and everyone else has their own work. We just have to do our best to help everyone out by doing our part. Besides, if you ever have time after work, you can just visit me again." I smiled at her reassuringly as I ruffled her red hair.

To my surprise, Chloe quickly hugged my leg in appreciation.

"Oh thank you thank you thank you thank you THANK YOU! You're the best, Rose! I'm so happy you're staying here forever!" She quickly turned her head towards Owen and shot him a dirty look, "Why can't we keep her?"

_Wait what?!_

Owen looked as if his breath has been knocked out of him. "What are… what are you talking about?" he said shakily.

His younger cousin quickly shot back, "We all like her better! She's so nice to me, she feed me, she teaches me stuff, and she actually **talks** to me! All Selena has ever told me is if I wanted her autograph!"

_As much as I want to relish this moment, I really can't let it get out of hand right now. Especially with Dale and Luke around…_

"Chloe, it's okay. Just listen to your cousin, you and I can meet up later okay?" I hugged her back and tried to gently pry her off my leg. But she wouldn't budge.

Oh my goodness… she's not budging!

_Oh crap…._

"I'm not letting go until Owen admits he's being a doo-doo head!" Chloe yelled out in determination.

_That was a good one._

I got a little flustered, "Chloe come on, don't give your cousin any trouble now-"

Finally Luke spoke up, "Don't worry guys. I got this."

With confidence in his swagger, Luke walked over and tried to pull Chloe off my leg. Her grip tightened, making Luke tug a bit harder. But the harder he pulled, the more he started to pull me along with Chloe.

"Ow! Luke, I'm starting to lose my balance!" I complained.

Chloe yelled out, "I'm not giving up! Admit you suck, Owen!"

Owen moaned, "Chloe, what's gotten into you?" He put his hand over his forehead in frustration.

"I'll tell you what: your girlfriend has gotten into my nerves!"

One last tug and Luke fell over backwards. He yelled at Owen, "Look man, you're gonna have to hold on to Rose so I can actually pull Chloe instead of both of them."

Both Owen and I looked at him, wondering if he was serious. Or sane.

I shook my head and protested, "No it's fine, I can hold on to my house or a tree or something…"

_Anything but him…_

I turned my body, ready to hop my way back to my house. But instead, I turned and almost bumped into the muscular miner instead.

_How did he get here so fast!?_

I looked up at him, too scared to think of a reaction. He just gently put his hands on my shoulders and tried to turn me back around. His face remained expressionless the entire time.

"This will only take a second…" Owen said quietly.

I pushed his hands off and tried to hop past him, "No thanks, I can find my own-"

This time Owen turned me back with more force and quickly wrapped his arms around my stomach. I let out a gasp as he pulled me against him, causing that same familiar feeling in my heart start up again at his touch. I quickly brought my arms up and tried to push his arms off.

"Hey, let go!"

His grip tightened, "It won't take long, Rose…"

_He said my name again… oh why does that make me so happy? No… stop Rose, he's the enemy!_

Oh no, it was happening again… the butterflies, the rapid heartbeats, the loss of breath. The more the symptoms intensified, the more I fought to get him off of me.

"Get off!" I screamed.

Luke yelled, "Now Owen!"

Luke yanked Chloe off of me as quickly as Owen pulled me off to the opposite side. And I swear… at that moment before both of them pulled on us, Chloe actually let go of me! I swear she did! I just don't know why!

The impact caused Luke and Chloe to topple down the hill with the little girl safely secured in Luke's arms. And as for Owen and me… well, the house happened to be behind us.

Where Dale was busy painting the roof of my house.

Owen and I toppled over backwards and we both lost our balance. He quickly wrapped his arms around me in the same secure way Luke held Chloe, bringing one of his hands on my head. The impact was so sudden, I didn't even notice what happened until it already happened.

All I remember was crashing against my house, causing the bucket of paint on my roof to topple over and fall all over us. I had fallen on top of Owen and he quickly rolled over with me beneath him so the paint wouldn't hit me.

But it was still a lot of freaking paint.

I shrieked and tried to bury my head in Owen's shoulder, only to realize…. That it was Owen's freaking shoulder. I quickly broke free of his hold and crawled out, only to realize I was actually left blind. The paint had fallen on my face, obscuring my vision. I had no choice but to keep my eyes shut to keep the paint out.

I wasn't always fond of my violet eyes but I hope this isn't a cruel lesson to help me appreciate my eyes more by having them painted with pink paint.

I stretched my hands out and tried to stand up. I bumped into something and fell down again.

_Today, the universe hates me._

"H-hey… Rose has paint on her face, she can't see!" I heard Luke's voice say.

I then heard Dale's gruff voice, "What?! Help her, you fools! I'm all the way up here in this roof!"

I yelled out, "Luke! Can you please take me to the beach in front of my farm? I need to wash up there, and I don't have time to ask my sister to help me."

"B-but there's a hot spring over there…." Luke said in confusion.

I screamed, "Why would I want hot water all over my face right now?!"

I felt a hand grab my wrist and gently tug me up. I clumsily stood up and extended my other hand out for support. The hand tugged me to walk forward so I warily allowed myself to follow.

_Okay, I guess I can spare Luke for now. For now._


	16. Bad Timing

**AN: Comment, critique, review, criticize, let me know:) I love hearing feedback and responding back!**

**Enjoy! Next chapter comes out tomorrow!**

15 steps…. 39 steps…. 40 steps….

I could feel the paint drying up in my face, and I groaned.

"Sigh, I can't believe that just happened. I am so sorry for getting you into this mess, Luke."

All I heard was a small grunt coming from somewhere in front of me. I clumsily followed wherever he was leading me. There were times I almost tripped but the hand would grip my wrist tightly and I ended up holding on to it with both hands. I just hoped no one was around to see the helpless state I was in. It was way too much to explain. Especially to my sister.

Pretty soon enough I could hear the slight crash of waves against the shore from a short distance. I let out a grateful sigh as we approached the sound. Suddenly he came to a stop and I stopped as soon as he did. The paint in my face was dry by this point and getting really itchy. I let go of Luke's hand and brought up my hands to my face, scratching all the itchy parts on my face with my nails.

"Just… my… luck…" I grumbled under my breath as I scratched.

I then felt both of Luke's hands grab mine and gently pry them off my face. He then led me few more steps forward until I felt water on my feet. Using his hand to balance me, I cautiously bent down and reached below trying to feel water.

_Hm, I never knew how calloused Luke's hands were. Probably from swinging that axe every single day…._

A smile grew on my face when I felt the cool saltwater on my fingers and I let go of Luke's hand so I could wash my face on my own. I cupped as much water as I could in my hands and rinsed my face thoroughly. I kept repeating until I could feel the thick sheet of paint in my face smear off.

"Ow, I think I have paint in my eyelashes. It's making it hard for me to open my eyes…." I complained quietly as I struggled to remove the remaining paint from my thick eyelashes. I tried to rub it off my eyes but it only started to hurt and the saltwater was starting to sting.

I felt my hands grabbed again by Luke's and he slightly tugged them away from my face again.

_Bro, I don't know how to tell you this but I don't think my sister would like seeing us like this…_

"What are you doing-" I started but then I felt thumbs gently rub off the remaining paint from my eyes. I stayed perfectly still, allowing Luke to finish.

"Uh," I started to say awkwardly, "Thank you for going the extra mile for me, Luke. I'm glad to know my sister is with someone like you. It's good to know that there's at least one decent bachelor on this island."

I opened my eyes after no longer feeling the heavy paint in my lashes.

The first thing I see: grey eyes.

_SHIT._

In my shock I stumbled over backwards when I tried to back away from him. There was a loud splash as I fell back onto the water.

_Just when I thought things couldn't get worse._

I gasped in shock when I realized what just happened. I honestly could NOT believe I had just fallen in the water… now I was completely soaked.

_WHY ME._

Owen sighed and extended his hand out again towards me. I refused to grab it, instead I scooted myself further into the water. For some reason I couldn't bring myself to get out of the water. I was too petrified to do so.

"… I thought you were Luke," I whispered slowly. I reached up to push wet strands of my hair from my face.

"He didn't react fast enough. Plus he was already attending to Chloe."

"I thought you couldn't stand me anymore."

Silence followed my rather direct response. I still looked away from him and instead focused on a particular point somewhere in the beach. Small waves kept pushing my back, soaking me more each time but I didn't care. I wouldn't get up until he left.

"Getting paint in your eyes can be dangerous, Rose," Owen said steadily. "Despite what I may think of you now, I couldn't let something like that hurt anybody."

_Did he just go there? You hypocrite. _

I felt anger submerge deep within my heart, where I fiercely inhibited all I have felt from the awful events that have occurred between Owen and I. And through that anger I was able to gain the confidence to stand up from the water and hold my head high.

I slowly waded through the water towards Owen as I maintained angry eye contact.

_Hurt anybody? Hurt…. Anybody?_

"You don't get it, do you?" I started to say. I walked by him and stopped briefly by his side and looked up at him. Owen stared at the ground for a bit before he finally turned his gaze to me. I wasn't sure if he was trying to keep himself from getting angry or if he was holding back some kind of emotion; with Owen, it's hard for me to tell what he is feeling. But this time I didn't give much of a damn.

"What's there to get? Despite what you did to me, I can't keep myself from helping others in need. No one is as cold as you Rose, I don't like to lead on and hurt people," Owen said assertively.

"You already did," I replied quietly.

Before I could hear anything else from him, I walked past him as fast as I could so I could have the last word. But when I looked up, I saw that we had company.

_Dammit, so close…_

Calvin stared at me with his mouth open. He looked up and down at me, the sight of me taking him by surprise.

_How long was he standing there? When did he even get here?_

"I went to your house to visit you but Dale told me you were here… and why are you wet, Rose?" He looked up at Owen and narrowed his eyes, "And why are **you** with her?"

I pushed off all the wet hair away from my face, "Long story. I better go get ready to meet you up at the bar." I attempted to walk past Calvin but he stretched out an arm to block my way. He then quickly took off his brown leather jacket in one swift motion and put it around my shoulders.

I gave him a grateful smile, which he reciprocated; he let his arm down and said, "Here let me take you home and get this seaweed out of your hair, haha."

"That won't be necessary so get your hands off my sister, bub," said a familiar gruff voice.

_Adam?! Why is everyone showing up all of the sudden?_

Sure enough I saw Adam walking towards us with a serious (and slightly pissed) look on his face. He kept looking back and forth between Owen and Calvin, almost reminding me of a male animal asserting dominance among other males. He reached out and protectively grabbed my arm, "Are these guys bothering you, Rosie?"

_Oh I'm so gonna get it now…_

Calvin held up his hands and smiled, "Not at all, don't worry I was taking care of her. She's with me."

Behind him, I saw Owen roll his eyes and cross his arms, "She doesn't even belong to you."

I noticed Calvin's smile slowly twist into a forced one as he looked over his shoulder and spat back, "She doesn't belong to you either." He almost said it in a taunting way.

I quickly turned back to Adam and whispered urgently at him, "Please take me home."

Without hesitation, Adam led me away but not without turning around and shooting one last dirty look at the bickering men behind us.

XXXXXXXXXX

"THERE'S NOT ONE, BUT THERE'S TWO OF THEM ROSE?!" Adam yelled almost hysterically.

I looked up from lacing my boots and stared at him pointedly.

"You honestly think I started this?"

Adam's furious expression gently dimmed a bit after thinking over what I said; he scratched the back of his neck, "Well… no, it's uncharacteristic of you. You're not even a flirt. Have you even flirted before?"

I caught the insult in his comment and laughed. I stood up from tying my bootlaces and playfully punched his shoulder.

"Shut up."

My brother seemed to calm down a bit as he laughed, "Yeah, what was I thinking? You, a flirt? It's almost as unfathomable as Marina wearing conservative clothing. Or Mama having a sense of humor. Or Diego getting a girlfriend."

We both laughed heartily. My Marina… I wonder how work is coming along for her. I was looking forward to catching her at the Brass Bar tonight. I knew I was going mostly for Calvin but deep down, I really wanted to see my sister more than anything.

"How's living with her?" I asked casually as I applied my lipstick.

Adam slumped on my bed and groaned. "It sucks. She can't cook to save her life and she comes home late every night from working at the bar. She wakes me up and begs me to feed her, even though it's like 2 in the morning and all we have is eggs and pudding at the time. I've tried to beg Mama to let me live somewhere else but she says I only can if I get married."

"Let me just get my jacket and we can walk to town together." I quickly slipped on a black leather jacket over my simple gray v- neck. All I paired it off with was a pair of navy jeans and black boots. It was a simple, maybe even somber, outfit but it was comfortable. It suited me, I think.

I finished getting ready and headed towards the door. Adam followed me and we both walked down the same dirt road that led to Harmonica town. We linked arms and conversed along the way.

"Well looks like we have to get you married. Any girl you might be interested in?" I asked, trying not to let my excitement at the notion of my baby brother getting married show.

He just stared ahead and shrugged, "Nah not really. I have priorities like getting a stable job here, maybe improve my DJ skills by applying to work at the bar. Maybe even go to school someday like you. I just don't think a girl would understand that."

"But there's a lot of pretty girls here! None of them catch your fancy?" I asked casually.

"No, but I don't think any will for a while."

_They'll notice him, that's for sure. With that height and boyish good looks, who wouldn't? On the other hand… he's my baby brother so I'd rather him stay single and under our protection if I can help it. He's still that same little boy to me who'd come crying to me in his pajamas whenever there was thunder…_

We both walked in silence after that, but I noticed there was something clearly in Adam's mind. He kept looking at his feet as he walked, his thin lips pursued in deep thought. Was it the thought of him getting married? Going to school? His future overall? I reached over and ruffled his dark hair on the tips of my toes.

_When did you get so big, Adam?_

"Something bothering you, little one?"

Adam tried to smack my hand away and whined a bit, "Hey I'm not a baby anymore! But as a matter of fact, yes there is something on my mind and I have to tell you. I know you'll know if I'm bullshitting you if I try to lie so here goes."

I saw the lights from the town straight ahead. Turning my attention to my pensive brother, I waited patiently for his explanation.

He inhaled deeply then very rapidly said all at once, "I asked Chloe to pull that small stunt today. It's not what it looks like, we both are rooting for you and Owen but even if that doesn't work out then we at least wanted to know if you guys could ever get over your misunderstanding. What better way to do that than getting you two forced to be together, even if it's for a brief moment? So we staged the whole thing. Chloe provoking Owen, her holding on to your leg, Owen having to pull you away from her, and her letting go at the right time so you two would tumble over and hopefully knock the paint from the roof of your house. Andddd," he exhaled, "that's why I showed up soon after. I just wasn't expecting Calvin there. That was not part of the plan."

_ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME YOU SON OF A MOTHERFREAKING AAGHH I'M GOING TO MAKE SURE YOU DIE A VIRGIN!_

Despite the furious comments and death threats ready to burst out of my mouth, I kept my calm. I just responded with a simple _ah _and kept nodding my head. My brother kept peering at me from the corner of his eye, gradually getting more nervous.

"You're not mad at me are you, Rosie…? I did it for you, you know."

"Nah, not really. Because I am going to get you back."

"How?!"

"Soon. Just you wait."

We headed towards the Brass Bar together once we approached town. We walked in together and the first thing we see is the lovely blonde waitress approach us with a friendly smile on her face.

"Hiya Rose! Table for you and your gentleman?" Kathy asked with a polite smile on her face.

I held up my hands, "Whoa there haha, this is my brother Kathy. Adam, this is Kathy the waitress here. Kathy, this is my brother Adam. He's our DJ and occasional singer."

Kathy smiled and held out her hand, "Nice to meetcha! Would you like a drink? First timers always get a free drink!" She smiled up at my brother, who clearly towered over her.

Adam just stared at her for a bit before realizing she had her hand out. He clumsily grabbed her tiny hand and stuttered out, "Oh uh… hi, nice to meet you too uh, Kathy. S-sure I'd like t-to, if that's okay with you Rose?"

I pretended to be offended, "Why are you asking me? You ain't my date!" I pushed him towards Kathy, "He's all yours!"

_Next time you try to pry into my personal life, Marina won't be the only one making your life a living nightmare._

XXXXXXXXXXX

After Kathy led Adam to the bar, I took a seat in a table by the dance floor. I saw no sign of my sister, but I did see Selena. She walked out of the door behind the stage and almost immediately began to dance, fully clad in her usual belly dancer attire. Once she noticed me, she threw me a disgusted look. I just winked at her playfully and waved with sarcastic excitement.

Before long, I saw Calvin walk into the bar and scanned the room, looking for me. When his eyes set on me, he walked towards me with a grin on his face. He sat down on the chair adjacent to me and tipped his hat, "Hey Rose. Did you wait long? Let's eat."

Almost right on cue, Kathy showed up with a little notepad in her hands. "Hey y'all! What can I get you?"

Calvin looked at me, "The lady can go first." He gave me his famous crooked but gallant smile that made Luna and Maya go girl crazy. I could clearly see why.

I stared at him blankly, "Uh… I've never been here before."

_Does everyone keep forgetting I'm new?_

"Oooh I can help with that? What's your favorite food, Rosie?" Kathy asked, leaning forward towards me eagerly.

"Uh…" I thought for a bit, "Seafood, I suppose."

"Great! You should try the bouillabaisse!" Kathy said as she scribbled down the order on her notepad.

Calvin grinned at me, "I'll have the same as her."

Kathy nodded and briskly walked away. I let out a sigh and stared at my hands awkwardly. Whether this was a date or not, I still had no idea what I had to do. What do people that just met do on things like this?

Thankfully enough, Calvin was the first to immediately break the ice. He leaned towards me and asked me something I was not expecting.

"Tell me about yourself, Rose."

XXXXXXXXXXX

"W-why?" I asked.

"Well, I'd like to get to know you better. That's all," Calvin said with a smile on his face. I noticed he shaved instead of sporting the same stubble I was used to. Truth be told, he looked very handsome right now. Even more so than usual. Why haven't I noticed before?

_Holy crap, I think I'm on a date… I'd shave if I was going on a date too. But I didn't shave my legs today though so…._

"Uh, okay. It helps if you ask me questions, otherwise I won't know what to say."

Calvin laughed as he leaned against his chair. He crossed his arms and grinned at me, "Fair enough. What's your full name?"

"Rosalie Sofia Miranda. I go by Rose."

"Haha, you have a lovely name. How long have you been dancing?"

"Since I was three."

"Impressive. What about your family?"

"Only the most recent generation. My grandparents were farmers back in Forget-Me-Not valley and my grandma's parents were also farmers from Mineral Town. Mama was a farm girl before she became a dancer."

Calvin nodded, clearly intrigued. "Why did she decide to become a dancer?"

_Oh God, not this question…_

I slumped back on my seat and stared at the ceiling, "Uh… because my dad left home."

Calvin blinked a few times before fully processing what I just said.

"Like… divorce?"

"I don't think they're officially divorced. It's a bit more complicated than that," I said as I nervously took a sip of my cup of water that Kathy set in front of me.

"How was he like?"

I thought carefully for a minute.

"I don't remember much, I was 4 last time I saw him. But he's tall. VERY tall. That explains why my siblings are tall as well. A gene that completely missed me as you can see. I also remember that he had a loud and deep voice, the kind that would make you listen and show him respect. And the last thing I know about him was that everyone said I was the spitting image of him."

Calvin looked a little confused, "But Marina and Adam have black hair, and your mother has the same red hair as you. And the same violet eyes, so… don't you take more after Miss Victoria?"

I almost coughed up my water, "Uh, next question please."

He looked at me in surprise but nodded, clearly understanding that I did not want to talk about my father any longer. I really couldn't right now.

"Do… do you have any hobbies? Besides dance, I mean?"

"Not really. I've danced all my life. I never really was allowed to do anything else. The only thing I have done besides dance was go to college after I completed my homeschooling."

"Were all of you homeschooled?"

"Yes."

"How come you were the only one that got to go to school?"

"If I was to expand and preserve our company, I needed credentials and get educated. I majored in finance and international relations. The reason why is pretty self-explanatory. I could learn to handle money well and learn all about the places around the world we have been to."

"Wow, beauty and brains I see. I have one rather embarrassing question to ask but… given my situation, I must ask." He cleared his throat a bit and loosened the neck of his shirt with his finger nervously," How old are you, Rose?"

"I'm 21, almost 22 in another season or so. Why?" Deep down, I think I knew the reason why. I just couldn't believe it.

Calvin looked up at me with a glint in his blue eyes. "Well Rose, as you know, I'm significantly older. I had to make sure you were of… reasonable age, for lack of better word."

Kathy arrived with two steaming bowls of soup in her hands. I was so relieved at her perfect timing, I felt like jumping up and embracing her. She placed each bowl in front of us and smiled, "There you go, enjoy! Oh and Rose, this is for you." She handed me a small note that was neatly folded. I smiled at her as I took it and thanked her before she walked away to serve more customers. Without thinking much of it, I tucked the note in my pocket. Whatever it was, it could wait.

"You're interesting, Rose. Your history is more complicated than I thought. You're quite a mystery." Calvin continued as he stroked his chin. I was thankful he didn't continue from where we left off. I honestly would not know how to respond, I could have probably offended him for all I know.

I gave him a half smile, "Sorry, I'm not used to this. I don't get asked personal questions so I guess that's why I don't say much about myself."

I took up a spoon and pushed around the contents of my bouillabaisse for a closer look: thick chunks of fish, varieties of small shellfish, vegetables and a hint of herbs that gave the soup a pungent but delicious aroma. I spooned a bit of everything on my spoon and took a cautious bite; it was the most amazing thing I have ever eaten. I had to make a mental note to myself to tip Kathy generously for suggesting such an amazing dish for me.

We talked more as we ate our dinner. A few hours quickly went by and Selena eventually (thankfully) retreated back to the same door she came from. Minutes later, my sister walked out ready to dance. Marina truly looked lovely and radiant tonight: she had on white genie pants with a black bedazzled brassiere and her thick hair was curled to perfection. Golden bracelets dangled from her wrists and a crystal necklace adorned her well- structured collarbone. Her hair fell gracefully on her shoulders in an almost angel- like way. Once Marina saw me, she waved happily at me and blew me a kiss.

Calvin noticed and turned back to me with a smile on his face, "You two are close."

"As anyone can get, " I replied with a grin.

"I beg to differ," he suddenly said with sly wink. "Sibling relationships can't be intimate unlike romantic relationships."

_I honestly wouldn't know, Calvin. I don't think I want to either._

Music started to play and Marina began to dance. I distracted myself by watching my sister dance her heart out on the dance floor. After Calvin's bold attempt at flirtation, I wasn't sure how to react anymore. I wasn't even sure if I could reciprocate it right now…

_I just can't. I can't stop thinking about him…_

I felt a hand touch mine. I turned back and noticed Calvin had reached over to touch my hand; he didn't offend me but for some reason, I felt like retracting my hand back.

"What's the matter, Rose? You got quiet all of the sudden…"

I quickly thought of something to say. "Oh no it's nothing it's just that… that… that I'm thinking about the note Kathy gave me!"

_Oh hohoho good save, Rose._

To prove my point, I reached down and pulled the note out of my pocket. I quickly unfolded the note and read:

_Hey, sorry about the incident at the bar during Gents' Night. I was drunk off my mind and had stuff going on too so I had no idea what I was doing. I shouldn't have hit on you while you were on your date. I know I can't do much but the least I can do to make it up to you is to offer you the bouillabaisse on the house. I hope you like it, I did my best to make it as good as it can get._

_Once again, sorry._

_-The Chef_

I reread the note again. The chef? I don't think I have even met a chef other than Yolanda… maybe he has the wrong girl. I had to check.

"Uh, would you excuse me real quick? I have to ask the chef a question, " I said to Calvin, who nodded at me with an understanding smile. I smiled at him before I walked towards the bar.

My brother and Kathy seemed deeply engaged in conversation so I definitely did not want to disturb them. I saw no sign of Hayden at the bar either but there was someone else in the kitchen, skillfully chopping vegetables with a large knife on a cutting board. His back was turned to me so I had to yell out a bit, "Excuse me? I'm looking for the chef, do you know where-"

I stopped talking when he turned to face me because I immediately recognized his face.

I pointed at him almost accusingly, "You... you're the guy that tried to make a move on me. The drunk one." This time his face wasn't flushed and he looked completely composed unlike the first time we met. He was quite handsome actually, but under his eye was a small Band-Aid and a large bruise.

Yeah, this was definitely the guy I had punched on Gents' Night.

"Yeah I know, I mentioned it on my note, " he said with a hint of annoyance in his voice.

"Oh… well thank you for apologizing. And for the bouillabaisse. I suppose I should also apologize for that, " I said as I pointed at the nasty bruise in his face. It looked like it was healing but it was still one ugly shiner. It made me feel sorry for hitting him, he looked pretty harmless now honestly.

The chef waved it off, "Nah it's fine, I probably deserved it. The name's Chase by the way. I'm the chef here and an apprentice of Yolanda's."

I walked around the bar and stood next to him. I properly introduced myself, "My name is Rose."

Chase scoffed a little. "Everyone knows that already." He turned back and continued chopping vegetables on his cutting board before dumping them in a pot of boiling water.

"What are you talking about?"

"I don't even know why you bother introducing yourself anymore. Everyone has been talking about the new farmer as if they've never seen one before." He grumbled to himself, "We have like four more for fuck's sake…"

_Oh, such strong language…_

"Well, you're certainly passive aggressive." I managed to finally say.

Chase laughed dryly and wiped some sweat from his forehead with his apron. 'Then that makes you aggressive. Because I wasn't the one that landed a punch on your face without letting you finish your sentence."

"Hey! You were asking for it!" I exclaimed as I stomped my foot.

"Ah! Don't hurt me!" Chase said as he held up the cutting board to shield his face. I couldn't help but laugh as I tried to shove him, "That's not funny!"

"Are you gonna dance-fight me? Or are you gonna stab me with a pitchfork?"

"Would you like me to?!"

"Kinky, I see. I LIKE IT."

We both stopped joking around and bent over in laughter. Despite his rudeness, I actually found humor in his sarcasm. It was good to talk to someone without having to filter what I have to say, I realized. Chase pointed behind me and said in between chuckles, "Hey I think you better go back to your date, I don't think he will be happy to see the village asshole talking to his lady farmer."

I stopped laughing and wiped a tear from my eye, "Oh him? Don't worry he won't get mad, this isn't even a date. Calvin's my friend!"

Chase stared at me with a slight confused look on his face. He cocked his head.

"Uh, I wasn't talking about him, I was talking about _him."_

He pointed again behind me but this time I actually looked where he was pointing. Chase was actually pointing at the entrance of the Brass Bar… where Owen had just entered and was busy taking his jacket off to hang on the coat hanger. His uncle stood right behind him.

_Oh for the love of all that is holy…_

Without thinking, I quickly bent down and hid under the bar. I almost knocked some empty bottles of alcohol in the process.

"H-hey! What do you think you're doing, Ro-"

"SHHHH!" I whispered loudly. I motioned for Chase to bend down, which he did. I leaned in and whispered quickly, "Don't tell anyone I'm here, especially Owen!"

"But why…?" Chase started before he got up and looked over at Owen. He kept looking from Calvin and Owen, clearly assessing the situation before a sly grin formed on his face, clearly implying that he knew what was the problem. Chase looked at me with a cocky look, "Oh I see what's going on. These two like you, don't they?"

I shook my head furiously, sending my red hair flying all over my face. "It's not like that! It's complicated!"

Chase crossed his arms and shook his head, "It's stupid that's what it is. I wouldn't normally waste my time on something so mediocre but… I do owe you. Stay put, okay?"

"Thank you!" I whispered back gratefully.

I crawled as far as I could go and tightly pressed myself against the bar's wall, as if pressing myself against it any harder would even help. A minute or so passed before I heard loud footsteps approaching.

"Hey Chase, I'll have a yam cocktail for me and a buckwheat cocktail for my Gramps please."

_Yam cocktail… Gramps… that's definitely Owen._

My heart started to speed up with nerves and I wrapped my arms around my knees tightly. I wanted to hide my face in between but for some strange reason, I just wanted to hear Owen's voice again.

So badly.

"Hey man, I'm the cook not the bartender."

I heard his deep voice again. "But Hayden isn't here…"

"Oh… yeah… coming right up."

I held my breath.

_Just a few more minutes, Rose. He's just gonna get his drink and sit with his uncle. Then I can sneak away and be safe at home._

But alas, life never freaking goes that way.

"Hey Chase, have you seen Rose anywhere? I can't find her." Calvin's voice emerged from another side of the bar.

I cringed. _Oh crap, I forgot I came with Calvin! What do I do now?! I can't leave but I can't stay here either!_

This was one situation I had could not save myself from.

Not this time.


	17. Visitors in the Night

**AN: Comment/critique/criticize and let me know how you're liking the story:) or anything at all! I love reading and responding to all your reviews! It makes me enjoy what I do even more. I also end up writing much faster if there's demand haha. Enjoy!**

Chase crossed his arms and scoffed, "Nope, don't know where she went. You ought to keep a close eye on your woman before she gets away for good, pal. Owen here already did."

I could not believe what Chase just said. Did he just… stand up for me? I had to put my hands over my mouth to make sure no sound escaped.

Chase walked to the kitchen and began to collect the ingredients needed for the cocktails. I heard a snicker from above, which belonged to Calvin.

"Shut up, why would I regret anything?" grumbled Owen. He mumbled a few more things that were inaudible.

_What else is he saying?_

I carefully scooted closer so I could hear better. I know eavesdropping is bad, but it isn't bad to do it if they're talking about you… right?

"Because you were wrong," retorted Calvin.

_Yeah, yeah tell him what a doodoo head he was. Wait… Did I just say doodoo head? Dammit, Chloe…._

"How the hell would you know? You don't know anything so back the hell off, Calvin," snapped back Owen.

"I don't know much that happened between you two, but I know her more than you do apparently. I heard about the rumors Selena has been trying to spread about Rose to discredit her. Do you realize that you're the only one that seems to believe her? Why would anyone believe someone who has done the one thing she is accusing Rose of? Who's the one that has tried to flirt with every man on this island? Who has tried to use her dancing to lure in people to see her? Who clearly admits she likes the attention? Not Rose, but your own girlfriend. So I got to ask myself, why is it just you who believes her?"

I held in my breath. I had no idea Selena was trying to spread those malicious lies around the entire town; although I was relieved that no one else believed her, it brought immense pain to my heart to know that the person I opened up to the most did not believe me. Why didn't he believe me?

I heard Owen speak again, "Look how many other guys have tried to hit on her! Even Chase here tried to take her home with him-"

Chase yelled over his shoulder, "I was drunk, jackass. Even you looked sexy enough to take home after ten shots."

Owen seemed to ignore him as he continued, "And then there's you, Calvin. You've wanted her from the moment you saw her on stage. I was sure that I could have made her mine until I realized that she would talk to someone you. The most flirtatious guy on this island. And if she couldn't see that and let you sweet talk your way to her, then maybe she really is the temptress Selena says she is. And I don't want that kind of woman in my life."

_Made her mine? So this whole time he really wanted me? Why didn't he tell me sooner? Owen, you idiot!_

I felt tears form in my eyes. I didn't want to hear more, so I reached up to cover my ears with my hands. If this was the truth being told, it was killing me on the inside.

Calvin yelled, "She's just friendly! Have you ever thought that she was just being polite? And that's pretty big talk to call me 'the most flirtatious' when you're with the biggest whore in town! Guess what, buddy? You're ALREADY dating that kind of woman in your life!"

ENOUGH.

_I can't be here anymore. I have to get away._

I got up from where I was. Calvin and Owen turned towards me and both of them looked very taken back at the sight of me. I returned their stares with a hurt one of my own and despite my hardest attempts, I could not keep myself from sniffling. Chase noticed me and quickly walked over to me. He put a hand on my shoulder and gently whispered, "Rose… don't let what they say bother you-"

I wiped my nose on the sleeve of my shirt and looked away. "I need to go home now. Excuse me."

Struggling to keep my head up, I stared directly at the door and quickly walked towards it. I felt a hand grab my arm and I roughly pulled away. I turned and saw that it was Calvin who reached out towards me.

Calvin looked deeply apologetic. "Rose, I'm so sorry you had to hear that. Don't believe anything he says, he's just holding my past against me."

I tried to smile but could only give him a weak one. I replied, "And you're holding his present against him. But the difference is that you got over your past and he's still living his." I walked away from him and walked out the door.

As soon as I stepped outside, I made a run for it. Cool wind whipped my face and my hair was flying all over the place but I didn't care. I started to gasp for more breath but I refused to stop to catch it.

_Why did I ever think I could be with someone like Owen? Why did I agree to stay on this island? What did I do wrong? Did I deserve this?_

Questions plagued my mind and only tormented my broken heart even more. I fought back the tears as best as I could. I saw my farm a few meters away and I picked up speed.

"Rose!" a voice bellowed from behind me. I looked over my shoulder and saw that it was in fact Owen.

I quickly turned back and ran even faster than before. Years of dancing may have helped me build enough stamina but Owen was still taller, stronger and faster than me. He quickly ran past me and blocked my path. I shoved him aside but he still kept putting himself in front of me.

"Go away! Can't you see that I don't want to see you?!" I screamed as I tried to shove him off.

Owen stepped in front of me again defiantly. "First you got to explain to me why you were eavesdropping."

I hissed, "I don't owe you any kind of explanation. Last time I tried to give you an explanation, you didn't even listen to me! I never want to see you again, Owen!"

He grabbed my hands before I could shove him again and leaned in closer. "Not a chance. Were you hiding from me?" he demanded.

I struggled to free my hands but he kept his grip on me. In my anger, I ended up kneeing him in the stomach, making him bend forward in pain. I broke free from his grip and ran past him and reached my door. I quickly pulled out my keys out of my pocket and fumbled with them, desperately trying to find the right key. But in my panicky state, it suddenly became 100 times harder to find the damn key.

"I wanted you. I thought you were all I ever wanted."

Owen's sudden remark startled me enough to make me drop my keys.

Overwhelmed with frustration, I ended up banging my head against the door and stayed there with my forehead pressed against the door. I felt a small tear fall from my eye and I started to sniffle again. All the pain I tried to hard to hide in my heart overwhelmed me worse than it ever has before all at the same time.

I made myself turn and look at Owen, who was still a little bent over with a hand pressed against his abdomen. He looked like he was still in pain, but his eyes also showed a different kind of pain that was clearly not physical.

"How could I ever believe that? You're with Selena now and you took back every thing you've said to me that meant the world to me."

I fully turned myself around now and slowly walked towards Owen. "You… you lied to me. I thought you were the kindest man I have ever met but I… I opened up to you and you STILL judged me! Over rumors you can't even prove to be true! Or was I just something to have fun with because you knew I was only staying here for a few days? And once I left everything would change? What is the matter with you?!" I cried out through tears.

Owen straightened himself up and ran both his hands through his dark red hair.

"I- I meant everything I said. To me, you were the dream girl I thought never existed. Then you show up and I'm almost on my knees for you. I would have done anything for you, Rose. But how do you think I felt seeing all these guys approach you? How do you think I felt when you didn't turn them down or anything? What the hell was I supposed to think?"

"What are you talking about?! Am I supposed to be rude to every other guy to prove that I only have eyes for you? It's my goddamn job, Owen! I'm supposed to be approachable, that's just how business is! Why is it so hard to understand that I can't just ignore guys like that?"

"Because I wanted you all to myself!" Owen suddenly yelled back at me. He immediately seemed to regret what he just said but he kept his stare on me, breathing hard the entire time.

His outburst startled me and I found myself at a loss for words. I just stared back at him in disbelief, struggling to believe that what he just told me was true. Owen looked down at the ground and put a hand over his eyes. He took a few deep breaths to compose himself before he spoke.

"I- I'm sorry. I shouldn't have yelled… But Rose you have no idea how incredibly maddening that was. Knowing that I had so much competition. And knowing that you were getting friendly with Calvin drove me crazy. He's such a flirt, everyone knows that. But you couldn't see through him. I wondered if you would prefer a guy like him over me, so I tried hard to talk to you more. To let you know that I was the one that truly cared. And then when Selena told me about you, it just all made sense… Goddess, I was blind…"

I wiped a tear away with the sleeve of my shirt, "So… despite what you feel for me, you still believe her?"

Owen looked up at me with a tortured look upon his face. He was completely different now from the cheerful miner I originally knew. The laughter from his eyes and the joy in his smile was absolutely gone at this moment.

"I don't know what to believe anymore."

_I can't keep myself miserable for the rest of my life trying to prove you wrong. No more. Rose, end this misery now. Otherwise, you'll always be going around in circles at this rate._

I had a moment of weakness but it's over now.

"Owen, I've never wanted anything more than I wanted to be with you," I said, admitting the one thing I wanted to tell Owen the day I decided to stay here at last. His eyes widened at me and he stared at me, stunned.

I continued, "I stayed because part of me thought it was possible. For the first time in my life, a man approached me because he wanted to get to know me instead of wanting something else from me. I opened up to you and I grew fond of you. I loved everything about you, from the sound of your voice to the way you move your arms in excitement as if you're revving up a motorcycle."

Owen's chiseled face turned a deep shade of red when I mentioned that specific idiosyncrasy of his. I didn't let that phase me though, so I kept going.

"You hurt me so bad. And you still are hurting me. Your words hurt me everyday; I just can't forget the awful things you've said about me. And anyone that would believe Selena's words over my own obviously does not care about me so stop saying you do. Despite the fact that I allowed you in my heart, you chose to believe rumors over me. And you know what? I just want all the pain to go away. So Owen," I inhaled shakily," I- I-I think it's best that we never talk to each other again."

I looked up and met his eyes, which looked the saddest I have ever seen them. The sight of his beautiful face looking pained like that almost made me cry again but I refused to let him know that seeing him like that hurt me. I don't want him to know how badly I wanted to take back my words if it meant making him feel better again.

He took a shaky step towards me, "Rose…"

I backed away and held up my hand, "I won't hold any grudges against you. I wish you and Selena the best, I really do. You don't even have to worry about me, because I'm going to invest my time on this farm and helping out this island as best as I can. I'm not a dancer because I chose to be one. Deep down I knew I was still the same farmer's daughter this whole time."

Bending down, I picked up my keys from the ground and quickly opened the door to my house. I stepped inside and quickly said, "Goodbye."

XXXXXXXXXX

Everything happened so fast, I almost don't remember what exactly transpired that night. It started as a dream that slowly transcended into a nightmare. But what I will never forget is what happened afterwards. After I abruptly said goodbye to Owen and quietly shed another tear or two before I succumbed to a very deep sleep.

It started with a faint light. A very dim light the size of a pearl that slowly grew in size gradually. It grew bigger, and bigger, and bigger… until it got so big, it stung my eyes. I wanted to shield my eyes with my hands and look away, but I couldn't. I squinted but I kept staring at the light, fighting through the discomfort of staring at such a bright light. To my shock, a silhouette of a very tall being formed in the light.

It was a woman.

A gorgeous being with brilliant jade hair woven into thick braids that fell way past her knees. She stood straight with her head held high and her posture perfectly poised; she walked towards me with a kind of grace in her step that was very unnatural, almost god-like. Through the bright light, I was able to make out the features in her face. Her eyes were the deepest shade of blue and glittered like two sapphires on a white canvas. Those eyes finally found their way into mine and a gentle smiled curved in her beautiful face.

Then she spoke.

"Hello Rosalie, I have been waiting for you."

I couldn't speak. I was in such awe at the presence of what seemed to be an angel. Angel, sprite, nymph, doesn't matter. This person was anything but human. Who was she?

I couldn't even feel my own presence. I felt like I was staring at her from a dream. I couldn't feel my arms, my legs, my body, nothing. Was I really dreaming?

A light laugh that sounded like twinkling bells interrupted my thoughts.

"I suppose I ought to introduce myself to you, young one. I am the Harvest Goddess, protector of this island. I've been longing to meet you and now here you are, in the flesh."

"Flesh? I can't even see my arms, man-"

I spoke! So I can talk! My relief turned into embarrassment when I realized what I just said. In real life, I probably would have face palmed myself and retreated into a corner in shame. I always blurt out what's on my mind on bad timing. Classic.

The goddess laughed again. "Oh my. Well it's good to know that you found your voice again, as well as your sense of humor."

I forced myself to speak again. "I-I apologize. It's a b-bad-"

"Bad habit? Not at all, my dear. In fact, it's rather charming. I notice that some people seem to like that, Rosalie." The goddess smiled at me reassuringly, surprisingly making me feel much calmer. I smiled at her, feeling like anything else she could say would calm me down or make me believe anything she said.

If she said I was a gnome, I probably would agree with her because she says it so sweetly.

"How do you know who I am? I have never seen you around before…" I started to say.

The beautiful woman held up a hand, "I know everything and everyone. As I've said before I am the sole guardian and protector of this island and its inhabitants. Well, recently I've been the only one…"

Her voice turned somber and the smile on her face slowly turned into an unhappy, troubled frown.

"This island is deteriorating. I am growing weaker as we speak and I no longer have the power to bring this island back to its former glorious state. The people's spirit is slowly dying as their land keeps losing its fertility. Animals are going into lethargic states, the wind is not strong enough, and the bounty of the sea they relied on so much is diminishing as well. People are losing their hope. I need help, Rosalie. We all need your help."

My mind went blank. I barely managed to blabber out, "What can I do? I didn't even know what was happening on this island. All I know is dance. That's all I have ever done in my life!"

The Harvest Goddess gave me a sad smile.

"On the contrary, dance isn't your passion. It's a hobby, young one. In fact, your calling has always been to be a farmer. You just never knew until you were given a will of your own."

_So dancing would have never been a choice if it was ever an option? I only saw it as a job, really. It makes so much sense now…_

The goddess continued, "I knew your grandmother. She helped me back in her time when her town was in dire need of a savior. Saphira… she was such a kindhearted woman who sacrificed so much to save her beloved town. I owe her so much for that. The promise I made to her before she died was to watch over her children and grandchildren." She smiled a dazzling smile, "I never knew that it would be you that would carry on her legacy."

_She knew Grandma?_

"I'm not my grandmother, she farmed all her life. I barely started this morning. How could I ever help you like she did, Harvest Goddess? I can barely help myself."

The goddess approached me and bent down to my level. She brought a glowing hand to my chin and tilted my face towards her.

"Young one, sometimes helping ourselves starts with helping others. In fact you already took that step when you made the choice to be a farmer. And from what I recall, you told that dashing young man not that long ago that you were devoting yourself into helping this island did you not?"

_Oh my god, how does she know about Owen? Or my conversation with him? How?! Holy crap who are you, woman._

"Don't be alarmed Rosalie, like I said, I know everything that goes on. But the words you said, those selfless acts of kindness you have done your entire life, told me that you were the one meant to save this island. What say you? Will you help us?"

I can't say no to a goddess. And I can't say no to all these people that have been welcoming and selfless to my own family and I… I owe them everything.

"What must I do?"

"I need you to wake my sprites and ring their bells. All five of them. Each time you ring a bell, you'll restore the island bit by bit. The purpose of ringing the bells other than that is to summon the Harvest King so he may help us."

_The…. the…. the Harvest King…. Oh please wake up, Rose! Wake up! This has to be a dream!_

"Rosalie," the Harvest Goddess said gently, but sternly, "I know it may be a daunting task but we need you. We all do. Along the way you will find the courage to summon the Harvest King. The life of this island depends solely on you. Please help us, I beg of you."

She was begging. This statuesque being was begging for help. It was clear as day in her eyes that she was greatly suffering. Seeing her vulnerability despite being a divine being deeply touched my heart. Despite how terrified I was of summoning such a formidable being like the Harvest King, I could at least try to find a way to do so. Who knows? Maybe I won't even have to talk to him. Summoning doesn't necessarily imply talking.

"I will." I said, more sure than I have ever been in my life. This wasn't a dream, it had to be real.

The goddess bowed her head gratefully, a crystal-like tear gently falling from her radiant eyes.

"Thank you, thank you so much…. Rosalie…. Save us…. If you ever need me… find me… at the spring…"

I blinked my eyes once and when I opened them, there was nothing but bright light. But this time the light was daylight.

XXXXXXXXXX

I blinked in confusion. I could see the roof of my house and everything else as I carefully looked around.

_Must've woken up…. Was it really a dream? No, it can't be. How could I dream up something like that? The Harvest Goddess… I always thought she was just a fairytale grandma told us to give us the idea that we had a fairy godmother watching over us or something._

_Grandma…._

I quickly hopped out of bed and rapidly brushed my teeth. I changed into my green work clothes and picked up my rucksack, fully equipped with my tools. As I walked outside my door, the light from the rising sun met me with warmth and comfort. Looking at the horizon, I felt a sense of purpose build up in my heart. At that moment, I realized that this… this island was my home. Owen or not, I was meant to be here. Not for my own ambitions, but for a reason bigger than me.

"I'm going to do you proud, Grandma," I whispered to myself. "I'm going give all of me to save this island. Even if it means waking up at 6 in the morning and down on my knees watering and planting crops or watching over animals, I will do it. Now, I go find that spring after my morning work."

Nearly 6 hours later, I was finally done with planting and watering. I had a large order of seeds that I got via deliver; I even had leftover for the next available harvest. One hundred plots later, I finally got up and stretched my sore back. As soon as I tucked my tools away, I made my way to the spring.

Well I would have, if I knew where the freaking spring was.

_Think Rose, where would a spring be…? Well for one thing, it's more likely that it would be on a mountain or something- oh crap… a mountain…_

I smacked my forehead and groaned loudly.

Well I guess that's a start.

XXXXXXXXXX

The Garmon Mine District was the last place on my mind that I wanted to go to but I just kept reminding myself that I had an objective to accomplish for the sake of everyone on Castanet. After all, I was originally determined to do my share of helping when I decided to stay here. My personal life can't get in the way of it.

"Rose! Wait up!"

A man's loud voice stopped me in my tracks and I stopped where I was. I turned to the sound of that voice and saw Calvin running towards me from the mine area.

_Should I wave? Should I smile? Last night was so unpleasant…_

"Hey! Look I know you probably don't want to see me again after everything Owen said and did but-"

I held up my hand and smiled, "Don't be. I would never hold your past against you. It just causes unnecessary hurt, I know."

_Trust me, I know…._

Then the unimaginable happened. In a rush of relief, Calvin swept me up in a tight embrace. I was so stunned, all I could do was gasp and just stay there limply in his arms. Mind you, this is only the second time in my life in which a man hugged me. It was only natural for me to turn furiously red… and feel confused all at the same time. Calvin usually seemed so… composed.

I heard Calvin sigh, "Thank goddess. I really was worried that we hurt you or that we would completely horrify you. Rose, don't listen to Owen. I am honestly not that mean of a person at all, he just made me so angry when he said those things about you. I'm not the same guy I used to be anymore either. Heartbreak makes people do stupid things, you know. But with you, I don't see you as a next conquest. I see you as a young girl who despite her age is new to this world." He leaned back to take a good look at me, "A girl who hasn't even experienced a hug from a friend, or has even had the chance to make a friend. Have you ever felt heartbreak? Love, maybe?"

My eyes drifted to the side, clearly in slight embarrassment. I muttered, "No, never."

"A birthday party? A neighbor coming over to ask for sugar? Maybe the chance to own and raise a pet?"

"No."

"The chance to pursue your dreams? To allow yourself to be who you are? Explore the world around you? Make a life for yourself?"

I didn't respond, I just stared blankly at him.

"No Calvin, I haven't done any of that. I was raised with one objective my whole life and devotion to one single thing, my family."

Calvin's large hands went up my arms and gripped my shoulders tightly.

"This is why deep down I felt like it was up to me to help you become your own person in this world that is so new to you. Once I saw you, I knew I didn't want to just… mess around with you. Yes, you're beautiful, probably the prettiest girl to ever come around these parts…"

I looked away and laughed lightly as I scratched my head, "I don't know about that, you clearly have not taken a closer look at my sister."

His deep laugh waved my comment away. "Oh no, I don't deny that I find her very attractive as well. But you, you're a silent kind of beauty. It's your innocence and the kindness in your heart that sets you apart from everyone else. This girl who gave up her chance at life just to devote herself to her family. Rose… I cannot think of a more suitable name for you. A thornless, red rose."

I awkwardly held up a finger, "Well technically my real name is Rosalie so-"

But Calvin didn't seem to hear me and went on, "So don't get the wrong idea that I just am some womanizer who is looking for a fun time before the next pretty girl comes to town. I find myself caring about you the more we talk and the more I get to know the real you. I… I just wanted you to know. I don't care if I'm older, I want to be there for you."

He finally stepped back from our embrace and looked at me, nervously expecting a response. I just decided to tell him everything that was on my mind.

"To be quite blunt with you, it was kind of strange how you complimented my body that one time. But then you say that you-"

Calvin shook his head and laughed, "Oh no ma'am, I didn't mean no disrespect. I'm just too blunt, maybe more than I should be. I somehow felt like you had no idea how lovely you are, so I just wanted to tell you one of the many ways you are beautiful."

_He thinks I'm that pretty? I've never met someone who called me pretty so many times or reminded me this much. Only Grandma did…_

I smiled at the memory of my sweet grandmother back in Forget-Me-Not Valley during my summers. I could be sitting on the floor coloring on blank sheets of paper, staring at the fish in the stream near the waterfall by her farm, chasing a cicada by the beach, or even watching TV and my grandma would always smile and say something sweet to me.

_"__Rosalie, you're the prettiest girl that has ever been born."  
"Rosalie you're so pretty, you'll have so many gentleman callers to choose from and you won't know what to do with yourself!"  
"Don't cry my little Rosalie, it hurts to see such a lovely face in such agony."  
"Rosalie, granny loves you so much."_

I was staring at the ground the entire time I thought about those memories with my grandmother. A smile formed in my face, a lump forming in my throat due to the bittersweet nostalgia. Without thinking, I quietly said, "Thank you. For everything."

A hand slipped into mine, which made me look up. Calvin held my hand in between his and gallantly smiled, "If there's anything I can do to make it up to you, please tell me."

I looked up at him and met his blue eyes gazing into. I never realized what a gentle smile he has when he's like this.

_ROSE YOU'RE ON A MISSION, DAMMIT. YOU CAN LET YOUR LIFE BE A KOREAN DRAMA ON YOUR OWN TIME!_

I almost jumped in alarm when I remembered the reason I even came to the mine district. But I quickly had an idea to make up for it.

"Actually there is something you can help me with. You're an explorer, aren't you? And an archaeologist and history aficionado on top of that. What do you know about the legend of the bells of Castanet?" I asked, gripping his hand in urgency.

Calvin blinked at me for a bit. "Why do you ask?"

"Because the Harvest Go-" I quickly stopped myself before I continued.

_Who would ever believe that the Harvest Goddess came to you in a dream? As far as I know, everyone thinks she's either a legend or abandoned them. Calvin is a man of facts, he would never believe me! He'll think I'm a beautiful schizophrenic, no doubt…_

I smiled and shrugged casually, "Because… I like history too! You know, always trying to learn everything! Ha ha ha…" I smiled sweetly and did the stupidest thing I have ever done.

I batted my eyelashes at Calvin.

I winced a little, unsure if Calvin fell for my performance. He wasn't a gullible man, he was a man of culture for crying out loud. But it seemed to work because his face lit up and he seemed like his old self again.

_Holy crap, no wonder Marina does this so much. That's why she always had more tips, huh? Dang it..._

"Sure I can, I'd be more than happy to help you. There are five bells according to legend, and all of them possess a different power that helps make up this island's vitality. It is said that if someone rings all the bells, they can summon the famed Harvest King who then has the power to revive an entire island. Well, I doubt it's impossible now. The bells have been missing for a while now."

My jaw dropped. "Wait, all of them are gone? So I have to look for them now?!"

Calvin cocked his head and raised an eyebrow at me. "Pardon?"

I closed my jaw immediately and replaced it with a forced cheery laugh, "Oh you know, hypothetically speaking! I mean come on, I run a farm! I have livestock coming in tomorrow, I would never have the time!"

I seriously don't see HOW I will ever have the time. I ordered one cow, one sheep, and one calf. AND three chickens to take care of on top of that. And what about my crops? Why didn't the Harvest Goddess tell me that I have to search for them?! I just thought I had to ring them!

Despite the suspicion in his eyes, Calvin continued. He scratched his chin in deep thought; I noticed some stubble was growing back on his face. It really suited him.

"I see… well, technically yes. Thing is, no one has any idea where they are. The only thing we know still remains are the bell stands. They're dispersed in different areas around the island, there's actually one under the mines." He pointed towards Garmon Mine. "I suppose you can start there since you're already here, if you want to check it out."

Roots could have grown out of my feet and planted me firmly on my place if I could help it. How… could I ever go anywhere near that area after last night?

I scratched the back of my neck. "Should… shouldn't you ask the miner?"

"You mean Owen?" Calvin asked blankly.

I looked away from him and didn't say anything.

_Oooooh look, a cicada…_

Calvin sighed and said, "I suppose you could but there's no point. Owen left the island this morning."

My head snapped back towards Calvin and I stared at him, unsure of what he said.

"He… he left? But why?"

Calvin's smile disappeared and his mouth formed into a very straight line. He crossed his arms across his broad chest and looked away.

"Saw it myself this morning on my way to find you. His family and girl were there. According to the loud protests Selena was making, he's leaving to find out what's wrong with the island. Their fires have been dangerously weak and it's affecting their business. I doubt he's searching for the bells, most likely he's just going to ask for help or assistance. But I don't know." Calvin turned back to me, "You can ask Ramsey instead."

I nodded slowly, clearly still distraught at the news. "Thanks… I think I will. Oh, and thank you for being a good friend to me."

Calvin bent down to gently kiss my hand, a habit of his each time we would say goodbye. His eyes looked up from my hand and he smiled kindly.

"I'll always be here for you no matter what, honey."

XXXXXXXXXXX

I've never been to the Blacksmith's before. As soon as I stepped in, the first thing I felt was heat. The air smelled of earth and a little bit of smoke. Nevertheless, I found the smell quite pleasant. It was homey in a way, and very cozy.

_Honey… I can't believe he called me honey. Does he mean it in a friendly kind of way? Or a fatherly kind of way because I'm much younger than him? I've been called names before, but never from someone like… someone like him. Maybe I'm-_

"Can I help you with something?" a gruff voice said.

Ramsey walked into the counter from what appeared to be his dining room and I saw his eyes widen when he saw who it was. A smile appeared underneath his white mustache.

"Well, it's as if a lovely spring breeze has swept into this room. What can I help you with, Rose?"

I bowed respectfully. "Good afternoon, Ramsey! I was hoping you could help me with a little problem of mine. I heard there was a bell stand under the mines, could you help me get there? Merely for research purposes, that's all."

Ramsey frowned, "Why didn't you ask Owen? I thought you two were friends."

_You're absolutely right. Were friends. Not are._

I tried my best to force a natural smile at him. "I heard he isn't here, I figured I could ask you."

"Well Rose, the thing is Owen is the miner. I'm just the blacksmith. Even if I could, I don't have it in me to mine that deep anymore. I'm just not as young." Ramsey then carefully inspected me with his eyes, "But you, you could go down the mines. You obviously have some muscle from dancing; all you have to do is learn to properly wield a hammer and all. You could even make extra money if you learn to distinguish ores from scrap metal and gems from Wonderfuls. It would be very helpful if you could ship some of that for us, since Owen isn't here…."

I took a step back in surprise.

"Me? Learn how to mine? I don't see how I can do it! Look how big Owen is, I could never be able to mine my way anywhere!"

Ramsey chuckled. Alarmingly, it almost sounded like Owen's chuckle.

I know because I felt a slight flutter in my stomach.

Which was weird.

"Anyone that says that they want to be miner doesn't say so because they are already born muscular and strong. They all start out just as small as you. No one ever starts already prepared. But they get stronger and stronger after each attempt. Kind of how life is in a sense, don't you think so Rose?"

I thought about it for a bit, understanding the depth behind his words. "I suppose so…"

"Owen does a lot more heavy lifting than you though. All you need to do is build up your stamina, learn to crush a rock, and just pick up whatever is inside of it. You won't be as built, but you'll be strong. Here- you can have Owen's old hammer. Doubt he'll need it now."

Ramsey walked back into a room and came out of it shortly with a large hammer in his hands. He handed it to me and I thanked him graciously for it as I carefully put it inside my rucksack.

_Owen's hammer, huh? The only thing I'll have to remember him by…_

"ROSIE IS HERE? WHY DIDN'T YOU SAY SO, GRAMPS?!"

The door Ramsey walked out of burst open again and this time, Chloe stood there with an excited look on her face. As soon as she saw me, she lunged herself into my arms. I quickly caught her and hugged her back.

"How are you, Chloe? You look happy!"

Chloe looked up at me and stared at me with huge eyes glowing with excitement. "Wellllll I wasn't happy at first because Owen left me! He said he had to go fix the problem with the island or something. But I'm happy now because he left me a toy I can play with! Come to my room to see!"

Without even waiting for a response, the little red head grabbed my hand and pulled me into the door leading to her bedroom. She pointed at a room with a pink bed and girly décor.

"That one is mine! The one next to mine is Gramps, and that door over there is Owen's room!"

I carefully inspected the entire place. Ramsey and Chloe actually shared a room that was just separated by a single wall but Owen's room was not. He had his own from the looks of it.

"Why does he get a room to himself?" I asked.

Chloe went to her drawer full of toys and kept herself busy searching for her toy. "I dunno. I guess so his wife could live there with him if he gets married. Or because he works out a lot and his sweat would stink up my room!"

I quickly looked away and tried hard not to imagine Owen working out shirtless. Or married. Or married and working out shirtless. Okay, I'm just going to stop now.

"Here it is! Isn't it pretty, Rose?" Chloe gushed as she handed me a red bell.

Huh. A red bell.

OH MY GOD IT'S A RED BELL.

I carefully took the bell from her hand and inspected it closely. It was quite old, but elegantly adorned. Although it wasn't much to look at, deep down I knew that this was not a toy at all. It looked like an ancient artifact it anything. How did Owen find it out of all people? Maybe he found it in the mines… where it belonged.

"Hey sweet pea, can I ask for a massive favor? Can I borrow this?"

Chloe's face fell a bit and she frowned, "What for?" She put her hands on her hips.

I looked up at her and made sure to watch my words carefully so she would understand.

"Well…. Because I don't think this is a toy, honey. I think it belongs to the mine, since Owen probably found it there."

Chloe's lower lip trembled, "But… but what will I have to play with? Owen is gone, and this was all I had of him!"

I reached out to fluff her hair sympathetically as I tried to think of a solution for the both of us. A smile formed on my face when I finally thought of one.

"You want to play a game? Chloe, you know you can always play with me."

"Really?" Chloe squealed giddily, "What should we play then? I know! Let's play Kick the Can with that!" She pointed at the bell.

My grip on the bell quickly tightened and I held it closer to me.

"No! No no no, I have a better idea! Let's go to the mines together instead! Maybe you could teach me how to mine," I said as I took out the hammer from my rucksack, "We could find all kinds of treasure together. What do you say?"

I've never seen Chloe at her happiest until that moment. She jumped up and wrapped her tiny arms around my neck, "YAY! I LOVE TREASURE! Did you know I always wanted to be a pirate? Hehe."

I smiled down at her. "A pirate needs her gems. I promise I will find all the gems you want, if you let me return this bell to its rightful place. It's too old and not as pretty as gems. What use would it have for a pirate?"

I mentally high fived myself.

XXXXXXXXXX

I always tell people that it was that day that I truly became a farmer. With the task of retrieving all the bells of Castanet, I worked harder than I ever had in my life to make it possible. I remember staying up for hours calculating my earnings and how much more I needed to make. Money was a huge factor in helping retrieve the bells and to help improve my own farm as well. I worked for 12 hours each day to make end's meet and I used whatever I had to give back to the islanders. I could see how unhappy everyone was because of Castanet's gradual decline, so I did my best to bring up their spirits everyday, something the Harvest Goddess encouraged me to do. Whether it was bringing tea to the old nurse or ice cream to a child, I did what I could. Along the way, I actually made my first ever friends. And through their friendship- Maya, Candace, Luna, and Chase- I found comfort for my still broken heart.

Occasionally I would hear of Owen among whispers in the streets. His presence was clearly missed by many and his efforts to save the island were praised. I would pretend not to hear but the thought of his kindness brought a very sad smile to my face. Whenever the thought of him kept me up at night or kept me from even working sometimes, I pushed myself even harder on my farm. And no matter what, I would try to find those bells myself. But in my head, I still found myself counting the days.

Until it was one week.

Then two.

And then it was five.


	18. Rose's Proposals

**AN: Yay thank you for all the lovely reviews! It really keeps me going, it really does:) it also makes me a better writer, so it means the world to me. Sorry it took so long for me to respond to all of you, I was quite busy! Don't worry, hopefully this much longer chapter makes up for it hehe. As always, let me know what you think so please leave a review! It keeps this story going, really :D Sorry if it's a bit rushed, I wrote it late at night! **

**Enjoy!**

"Roseee! Hey!"

I looked up from putting tomatoes in my basket and raised my hand up to shield the sun's bright rays from my face. I grinned and waved back.

"Hey there, Luke! If you're here for more stir fry, then get lost!"

I was joking of course, but he seriously was going to eat my entire crops at this rate.

The blue-haired carpenter caught up to me and swept me up in a hug. "How you doin', Rose? I feel like I haven't seen you in years!"

I shrugged bashfully and smiled apologetically at him. "I'm sorry, I've just been insanely busy. Ever since Bess gave birth to her twins it's taken an extra hour or so for me to take care of her calves alone. Not to mention I just bought an extra plot of land."

It was true. After expanding my farm, I now had 8 animals in my barn. My chicken coop was now large enough to fit 2 ducks and 6 chickens. I doted on all my animals that I have taken care of since birth, but I had to admit, it was very time consuming. But the toughest task was arguably taking care of my crops. Tilling soil wasn't so bad and planting was the easiest thing to do. But watering the crops was a nightmare and the most exhausting part of it all. It was each time I had a bountiful harvest that made me remember why all that hard work was worth it.

I plucked a large tomato from its stalk and handed it to Luke, "Want one? If I'm not mistaken, it's perfect quality."

Luke grinned and took the tomato from my hands. "Haha thanks! You are just too awesome, dude. I thinks it's real cool how you find time to give gifts like these to everyone in town; I mean carpenting itself is pretty cumbersome at times, but I can't imagine being able to juggle all the responsibilities that come with your job!"

I headed over to my shipping bin and gently placed all the tomatoes as well as the rest of my harvest inside of it. I smiled to myself a little bit.

"Anything to make everyone happy."

Luke stretched his arms and sighed contently. "Of course everyone is happy, Rose. Ever since you started working, the fires have been running again, the wind is back at full throttle, and even the fish came back! You're a good luck charm, I think." He grinned at me and slapped my back.

"Ha ha, right…"

_If only you knew what I went through to make that happen, Luke…_

Sudden flashbacks of me going down a scary and slippery water cave, tumbling down hills as I rushed to collect moonlight, the annoyance of having to collect ingredients for the town Wizard in exchange for help, or having to help Paolo construct a complicated aqueduct system rushed in my head all at once. And I STILL had a bell left to go. The Harvest Goddess had no chill, seriously.

I turned back to Luke and smiled. "Nope, I had nothing to do that with all."

"Hey," Luke said as he suddenly lowered his voice, "so Marina and I have been hesitant to tell you this but… we have some information on Owen. Apparently, he's coming back since the fires have been restored. Or so I hear."

I froze in place with an arm outstretched towards the bin, ready to drop another tomato in. I swallowed hard and made myself continue my task with indifference.

"Hesitant?" I didn't want to acknowledge the part about Owen at all.

"Well, I kinda have been knowing about what happened between you and my bro. Don't get mad at me, it's just that Marina and I have no secrets in our relationship!"

Straightening myself back up again, I looked at Luke with a solemn look on my face. I took a deep breath.

"Well I can't say I like that you know my business but you're my sister's boyfriend so I can't really argue there…."

Luke defiantly interrupted, "It's just that you're like a sister to me you know? I care about you, so don't worry I won't tell anyone! I want to help you and Owen too, man." I smiled at him and shook my head.

"You're a great guy, my sister is lucky to have you. She really is."

I noticed Luke's eyes widen and he bowed his head in obvious embarrassment as he scratched his neck. He cleared his throat awkwardly.

"Uh… you're not low-key hitting on me… are you?"

I squinted my eyes, completely regretting what I just said. " No offense kid, but you're not my type."

"Because your type is more brawny, intensely muscular, maybe red haired, and knows how to handle a hammer as well as his women?"

"I'LL KILL YOU."

"Unless…" Luke paused, his teasing clearly over. "Your type is someone intelligent, suave, and older… like Calvin?"

I took out a towel from my rucksack and proceeded to wipe the sweat and dirt off from my body. I thought carefully about how to respond to Luke since he was one to take things quite literally. Like Marina, actually. Oh god, no wonder they're perfect for each other…

"Yeah, everyone seems to think so nowadays."

"How do you feel about him, Rose?"

I stopped wiping my arm and stared at the ground as my mind became distracted at the thought of Calvin. Calvin…. We have been spending everyday together for the past month or so. He was more than a friend. He was my protector, my guide, and my own guardian angel. Naturally, I felt like I should be with someone like him. But why couldn't the thoughts of Owen go away? The fact that I couldn't see him drove me crazy and I spent a lot of time wondering where he was. It seemed like the longer he was away, the more I thought about him. And Calvin knew it. And he didn't like it one bit.

"Good morning, Rose. Luke."

Both of us turned around in confusion when we heard our names called and our eyes widened slightly in fear.

Mama was standing next to my house, staring at both of us with a hint of disapproval upon her face. The very faint wrinkles on her forehead were a little furrowed, meaning that she was impatiently waiting for something. I turned to Luke and quickly whispered, "You should go, I got this."

He didn't even need to tell me twice. Luke politely bowed to my mother, "Good morning, Ms. Miranda. You're looking extreme today!" He then proceeded to give her an overenthusiastic thumbs up.

My mother's eyebrow raised and she tilted her head slightly. She stared at him pointedly.

I whispered again, "I said I got this, dammit!"

XXXXXXXXXXX

I placed cup of herbal tea in front of Mama.

"Here you go, Mama."

She daintily picked up her cup and held it up to her lips before saying, "Thank you." She took a ladylike sip and placed it down gently. Very graceful. I almost rolled my eyes at the sight; Mama was always so ladylike, it was ridiculous. She could give the Harvest Goddess a lesson in etiquette if she could help it.

I sat down opposite from her and got straight to the point, "What do you want?"

Her usually pursed lips formed a crooked smile as she scoffed.

"You don't look too happy to see me, Rosalie."

"Don't call me that," I responded blankly.

"Goddess, when was the last time you showered?" she squinted her eyes at me and severely scrutinized me. Mama was staring at me so hard, I almost felt my arms go up to instinctively cover my breasts as if she had X- ray vision. Her gaze was that piercing, honestly.

She continued to criticize me, "Your hair… do you not straighten it anymore? Or even curl it? You don't even have a lick of makeup on you. Oh my, your clothes… they're so dirty. You ought to take care of yourself more instead of looking so disheveled, mija."

"What do you expect? I'm a farmer, not a performer anymore."

Mama's eyes formed dangerous slits. "I didn't raise you to be a farmer. Up to this day I still can't understand why you would choose such a lowly "career" when you could have been anything else. You could have made yourself more famous, you could have made my company even greater." She laughed softly and picked up her teacup, "Now it's my brother's son taking it over. Not my own daughter."

I felt a tinge of anger spring up from my heart. "It's my own life, not part of yours that you can mold as you please. Grandma would have been happy, so would have Grandpa!"

She took a small sip of her tea, which annoyed me more for some reason. Does she have to be so goddamn perfect all the time?!

"Ah, of course they would. My father was a bit more pushy when it came to his children taking over the farm. Mother was a more open minded but I don't think she ever came to terms with me leaving to pursue my dreams. What would they know? They're just simple farmers."

I gritted my teeth and said the one thing that could possibly get me killed by her own hands. Mama's weakest spot.

"You didn't pursue anything. You ran. You ran away because dad left…"

I steeled myself, prepared for the fury that my mother would lash out on me. You never, ever, talk about Dad in front of Mama. Or at all if you can help it.

Imagine my shock when my mother started to laugh.

_Holy shit, I pissed her off to the point of insanity…_

She looked up at me with a glint in her violet eyes.

"Oh darling, before you go around thinking that you know me, I must tell you the reason of my visit to your dingy little farm now that you reminded me of my failed marriage."

She looked pleased at my shocked reaction.

_Shit she must've REALLY lost it…._

"Well, even though you may have failed to carry on the legacy of my company that I have built with my own blood and sweat literally, I realize you actually have presented me with another use I may have of you."

I grumbled, "Naturally."

"Yes, quite naturally. Well Rosalie-"

"Don't call me that, woman."

"ROSALIE. Since I can't have you take care of my company or follow the steps of your own mother, I wondered what else I could do to make sure you had a good future ahead of you. Farming can't possibly be a good long-term career for you but you insist on being one anyway. So I can't stop you from being a farmer and take over my responsibility…" Mama got up from her chair and slowly walked towards me. She stood behind my chair and leaned in close enough until her face was next to mine. I was too terrified to look at her in the face though.

She smiled and whispered, "But I can give you away for marriage."

I stood up so violently I knocked over my chair and Mama stepped back a little bit. But she still kept a smug look of victory on her face.

"Have you gone mad? I am not going to marry! Especially anyone YOU choose!"

Mama smiled sweetly at me and tilted her head sideways, "Would you at least let me tell you who the suitor is?"

"No!"

"It's Gill. Quite a fine match, honestly. He is the mayor's son and future mayor himself. Very educated, very polite. He will be a good husband to you Rose, so I suggest you two get more… acquainted."

Oh god, I used to think this crush Gill has had on me wouldn't be troublesome. I am so starting to rethink that now.

I stomped my foot and clenched my fists tightly.

"I don't want to marry Gill! My friend Luna likes him anyway, so it would be wrong! Even if it was an arranged marriage! Mama you can't just march in here and demand me to follow every single command of yours. You're my mother, not my boss anymore! Act like one for once!"

My mother's smile turned sour and an angry look distorted her features. I knew that look all too well. She was planning to use something against me that would insure victory for her and submission from me for sure.

I kept going regardless. I'm a dead woman walking by this point anyway.

"I don't like Gill in that way anyway and I never will. He and I aren't compatible. You only think we are because we have degrees and come from prestigious families. Well you can't base marriage on something so shallow and unsubstantial, Mama. He doesn't have what I want in a man I want to have in a relationship with, much less marry!"

"And… that _miner_ does?" Mama asked in sweet but toxic coated voice.

_Oh god, I'm done for. She found my vulnerability. I've lost… I've lost…_

And she knew it.

Mama kept probing, "You think I didn't notice? I raised you, for the love of Goddess. I know how you are. I noticed all the signs. How you two looked at each other at every single event we had, the dance you two shared at Medley Night, you coming home late at night. Your mind was always elsewhere. But then I noticed him with another girl, that temperamental red hair without manners. I also noticed how you became more headstrong and independent, to the point you even stand up to me. You're no longer obedient. You're not my sweet girl anymore. So it made sense to me," Mama clapped her hands together, "you're heartbroken. Aren't you, Rosalie?"

I stared at my mother with intense anger and felt betrayed. I couldn't believe that she would hold something like that against me, but that's what she does. If you displease her- or god forbid- anger her, she will use whatever vulnerabilities you have and attack you into submission. She's a cutthroat businesswoman, and that's why she was so successful at her job. Mama has always been determined to have her own way.

_Well, not always…_

I could see it in her eyes that she knew she won. Although she did, I refused to give her the satisfaction of me admitting that she did.

I walked over to the door of my house and opened it.

"I'd rather remain brokenhearted over someone I cared about than married to someone I don't even know for your own convenience."

XXXXXXXXXX

_Smash. Crack. Smash. Crumble. Crack._

I brought my hammer over my shoulder and with full force, finally smashed the rock I was struggling to break in half. I peered into its contents and groaned. Nothing.

Dropping my hammer to the ground, I slumped to the ground and fought to catch my breath. As soon as Mama left my house, I marched straight to the mines and started to take out my anger on every single rock on sight. I went at it for about five floors until I felt like passing out.

Bad mistake on my part, I admit that.

"Jin would not be happy about this. He's gonna think I'm a bad influence on Van and the other kids, probably…" I muttered to myself.

The town doctor was extremely anal about health and he often chastised me for overworking myself too much. The way I saw it, if it doesn't kill me, then it's all good.

"Whatever, Van still loves me."

I stood up and brushed some dust from the back of my shorts. I looked up towards the exit of the mine and stared at the stairs for a bit.

"Maybe I should head back… I could always give Chloe some of the Wonderfuls I found-"

Speaking of the devil…

"ROSIEE! Are you down there?! Can you hear me? It's me, your favorite pirate princess!"

I laughed out loud and almost lost my balance.

_Wow, I completely wore myself out… I can't even laugh straight._

I cupped my hands around my mouth and yelled out, "Chloe! I'm down here! Is everything okay?"

The little voice yelled back, "Come back up here! We are waiting for you!"

_We?_

Without a second thought, I made my way to the entrance of the mine. As I walked back, I thought about how embarrassing it would be for anyone to see me this dirty. Mining always left me sweaty and covered in dirt so I made a habit of washing away as much as I could before walking into town. Whoever was waiting for me better be someone who has already seen me in this state.

I looked up and finally saw the entrance of the mine. My eyes squinted, not being able to fully adjust to the light after being in the darkness of the mine for too long. I walked towards it anyway as I took a small rag out of my pocked to rub off the dirt and sweat off of my forehead.

"Chloe, what do you need?" I called out blindly.

I felt a tug on my hand and knew Chloe had grabbed my hand.

"Rose! Look who came back!"

I sighed and without thinking said, "Please tell my brother that he can't use my water well to wash his underwear anymore."

"Underwear?"

I stopped in my tracks immediately.

_THAT VOICE…. NO, TELL ME I'M HEARING THINGS…._

My eyes shot wide open and searched for that voice. I saw some people gathered around the mine district. There was Ramsey, Luke, my sister, Dale, and Chloe. They were crowded around a very tall man who towered over all of them, even Dale himself. He stared at me, indicating that it was him who spoke to me.

I felt my knees buckle a bit and my mouth slowly dropped in terror. My stomach… developed butterflies. I couldn't believe it. I just couldn't believe it.

I watched as those grey eyes carefully inspected me from head to toe at the sight of me.

"Hello Rose," said Owen finally.

XXXXXXXXXXX

"Didn't I tell you he was coming back soon? Man, I'm so happy to see you!" Luke exclaimed as he wrapped an arm around Owen's neck and tried to bring him down to rub his head with his knuckle. Owen laughed as he tried to lightly shove him off.

"Came as soon as Gramps told me that the fires were back. Had to see it for myself. I'm pretty relieved to be back though, I missed everyone."

My grip on Chloe's hand tightened in nervousness.

_What am I supposed to do? I wasn't expecting him to come back so soon… I almost believed he would never come back!_

Ramsey put a hand on Owen's shoulder and firmly gripped it. "Good to see you again, boy. You took so long, I considered replacing you with Rose. Good thing you came back or you would have lost your job to a itty bitty girl!"

He and Dale laughed heartily, making me blush furiously. Chloe let go of my hand and put her hands on her hips angrily.

"Gramps that's not nice! Rose helped out so much with our business, the least you could do is say thank you instead of teasing her!" She looked up at me and looked pleased, "You are welcome."

I still managed to smile at her despite the fact that my insides kept flipping all over the place. Chloe always had that effect on me.

Ramsey chuckled, "Well yes, you are right there. I appreciate your work Rose, we all do. Ever since you started working, the land seems to be improving. I don't know how you did it, but something about you tells me you had to do something with it so thank you."

I bowed, "You are too kind, thank you for your heartfelt words."

I kept my eyes fixated on the ground when I heard footsteps head towards me. Although I knew who was approaching me, I didn't have the courage to face him after so much time. After all the thoughts I had of him, after all we have been through…

"Is it true?" I heard Owen's familiar deep voice ask.

Without looking up, I replied meekly, "What?"

"Did you help my family with the shop?"

I made myself look up and felt a sudden rush of feelings overwhelm me all of the sudden when I met his grey eyes.

Those eyes that I missed so much…

"Yes."

"You mean to tell me you learned how to mine and refine?"

"Yes."

"How?"

"Chloe."

"She's just a child though."

"I watched."

Owen stared at me, looking a bit perplexed himself. I think he was trying to figure out if I was lying or not, but I think by this point he knows how much of a lousy liar I am.

"You just watched? Mining takes more practice than just watching."

"Same with dancing. You practice and you watch."

"I can't believe this. Even I had to go through vigorous training before I mined!"

I shrugged, "Well either Chloe is a very good teacher or I'm just a better miner than you are."

Dale let out a booming laugh. "Oh ho ho, I like this one! She's fiery! Just like my future daughter-in-law, eh?" He playfully gave Luke a shove and I noticed Luke's face turn really red at the mention of Marina. Marina in turn blushed and coyly said, "Oh Dale, you're too much!"

_Was he thinking of marriage already?_

"That's my boy!" Ramsey merrily said at Luke. He then turned towards Owen and pointed at him, "Say boy, when are you going to bring a good hardworking woman to the house?"

Owen looked at his uncle in shock and his eyes widened. He scratched his head and muttered, "Gramps, I already have a girlfriend."

_Pour salt on the wound, why don't you…._

"Boy, didn't you hear me say a good AND hardworking woman? Get back at me when you decide to marry a girl like Rose. In fact, marry her so we can have TWO good miners for business!"

Ramsey and Dale roared in laughter at their teasing, while I stared at the ground trying to fight back the sadness that crept into my heart again. Marriage… a relationship couldn't even be possible at this point. They really had no idea of the nasty fights Owen and I had and our current situation. I refused to run though.

I refused to be like Mama.

I quickly turned to Chloe and bent down to her level.

"Sweetie, would you like to see what I found for you? Maybe I have some gems this time, what do you say?"

Chloe was surprisingly understanding of the situation and nodded. She grabbed my hand and we headed towards Mira's shop to refine the Wonderfuls. I was careful to not look at Owen as I passed him.

Chloe whispered at me, "Gramps means it, in case you didn't know."

XXXXXXXXXXX

"Honey? Is everything okay?" asked Kathy.

I looked up from the piano and blinked a few times, "Huh?"

"Well, you've been sitting here for about an hour with your head pressed against the piano keys ever since you entered the bar. We're a little concerned."

After becoming a little bit oriented, I noticed that Kathy was not alone. Behind her stood the rest of my friends: Luna, Candace, Maya, and Kathy's best friend, Renee. They all stared at me, uncertain of what to think of the situation.

I rubbed my temples and groaned a little.

"Oh sorry, I spaced out that's all. I overworked myself at the mines, I suppose."

Maya giggled and placed a sympathetic hand on my back. "Aw don't worry, Rosie! You don't have to work in those stinky mines anymore now that Owennnn is back! Sigh," she looked away dreamily, "I was starting to miss having some eye candy around here!"

Kathy rolled her eyes at Maya, "Don't talk about Owen like that, he's like my little brother!"

Luna crossed her arms and scoffed. "Oh Kat, then you would not like to hear the things Selena says about him. She's more shallower than a puddle of hobo pee."

Renee leaned against the piano and shrugged, "To be honest, I don't know what Owen sees in her. He's too nice to be with someone so sour…"

Candace bowed her head slightly and spoke lightly, "Well… m-maybe b-b-because he's so… so handsome… a-and she's r-really pre-pretty…"

Her lavender haired sister looked appalled. "Then by that logic I should be married to Brad Pitt!"

Maya then turned to me and looked at me in confusion. I stared back, "What is it?"

"Rosie, didn't you use to date Owen or something?"

I almost tumbled out of the piano bench.

"What? No! Not at all! W-why do you ask?"

_Oh god, these girls are on to me…._

Maya continued, "I used to see you two together all the time. Kathy said he would talk about nothing but you whenever he came to the bar."

Luna smacked her lips and put her hands on her hips.

"Don't be silly! It's obvious she and Calvin have something going on! If anyone should be dating my Rosie, it should be a properly educated and sophisticated and handsome man!"

"Did someone call for me?" a suave voice asked from behind the girls. They all turned around and some gasped at the sight of Calvin. He smiled and tipped his hat down at them, "Howdy, ladies. Beautiful night isn't it?"

Maya gasped and stuttered in excitement, "Y-yes it is! Lovely to see you here tonight! Can I get you anything?"

Kathy leaned over and whispered in Maya's ear, "Uh we're at the bar right now, Maya. And it's my workplace not yours."

Calvin walked over to me and leaned down towards me. I held my breath as our faces were only inches apart.

"Why don't you play something for us, Rosalie?"

I gulped a little. His face was so close to me, I could see the finer details on his face. The brightness of his eyes, the stubble growing around his chin, the straight nose, and his full lips forming his signature crooked smile. I stared at his features almost intrigued until I remembered to answer his question.

"Play what?"

"On the piano. I heard you were having a tough day, figured I could come here to make it all better if you'd let me."

He walked over and sat down next to me in front of the piano. Calvin gently took my hands and placed them over the keyboard.

"Play something, sweetheart. Anything that will help you clear your head."

I smiled at him and his smile grew more. "You… you always know what to do to make me feel better, did you know that? You're amazing, Calvin."

He chuckled a bit and his grey eyes gazed all over my face. He reached up and gently wiped something off my face.

"Isn't it amazing how you can still be the most radiant person in this bar even though you have dirt on your face? I bet you could also bring smiles on everyone's faces if you play for them. Play out your feelings."

I grinned, "And you? Will it make you smile if I play?"

Calvin smiled back at me and quietly said, "Especially me."

Feeling much better, I turned back towards the piano and softly grazed my fingers over the ivory keys. The piano was clearly old, but very much cherished by Hayden so prized by him that he displays it in his own bar. I wanted to play the best I could to do him justice. I started to play a small tune, cautiously at first then gradually building up to it.

_What do I feel? I feel…. Sadness. I am sad because Owen is finally back and likely to stay for good this time. And likely to remain with Selena…. But I have to deal with this sight everyday of my life now. Yes that's right. I feel sad. Sad…. But happy. I feel sentimental, bittersweet and happy._

I played a sweet and gentle melody that I knew from a sad Latin song about a woman giving up her true love but not regretting the times they had together. That's how I felt right now. Despite the sadness I felt deep inside, I knew Owen wasn't a bad person and he deserved to be happy. And if Selena made him happy, that is nothing to be sad about. Well, except the part about me not being the one to make him happy.

But that wasn't the point.

Everyone in the bar- storekeepers, fellow farmers, and other townsfolk- refrained from their drinking and chatting and turned towards me. I felt a little bad from playing such a melancholy song in such a rowdy and cheerful place.

_Maybe if I sing, it'll make them think that it's not such a sad song. It would actually help if I…._

I played a bit softer and gently began to sing:

_No me queda mas (There is nothing left for me)_

_Que perderme en un avismo de tristesa (but to lose myself in an abyss of sadness)_

_Y lagrimas (and tears)_

_No me queda mas _

_Que aguantar bien mi derrota (but endure my defeat)_

_Y brindarte felizidad… (and toast you, and to your happiness)_

Spanish. I knew that by singing in another language, I would throw off anyone listening. And it worked. Most began to form smiles on their faces while the rest looked really surprised. No one would believe that I was singing a rather depressing song at all. I was quite sure that no one spoke Spanish on this island as well. Light clapping followed soon after and I nodded at them with a smile before I continued.

_No me queda mas _

_Si tu regreso hoy seria (if your return is)_

_Una imposibilidad (a possibility)_

_Y esto que no era amor lo hoy niegas (and this that wasn't love, you now deny)_

_Lo que dices que nunca paso (and say it never happened)_

_Es el mas dulce recuerdo de mi vida (is the sweetest memory of my whole life)_

I paused for a little bit as my fingers glided over the keys and fought the urge my fingers had to shake. Calvin was right, playing the piano was helping me calm my nerves and singing helped me cope with the pain I felt in my heart. As I looked at the smiling faces of the patrons, I thought maybe by purging my feelings out through song… just maybe this was my way of coming into terms with reality. The reality that Owen and I were not meant to be.

Next to me, Calvin nudged me very lightly and indicated that I keep singing. I smiled and complied. I gathered up more breath.

_Yo tenia una esperanza (I had a deep waiting hope)_

_En el fondo de mi alma (in the bottom of my soul)_

_Que aun dia te quedaras tu conmigo (that one day you would stay with me)_

_Y aun guardaba una illusion (and I even saved the illusion)_

_Que alimentaba al corazon, (that aided my heart)_

_Mi corazon que hoy tiene que verte- (my heart that today has to lose you-)_

The door opened and more people walked in, interrupting my singing. I looked up and to my dismay, saw that Owen was among the group that consisted of his uncle, best friend, his best friend's father, and… Selena. They stopped in their tracks when they heard the piano's soft tune and gathered around the rest of the crowd watching me. Owen got to the front first and you can only imagine the shock on his face when he met eye to eye with me, the surprise pianist. We stared at each other with a mutual surprise on our faces until I finally managed to finish the last remaining words of the chorus:

_Como solo amigo… (as just a friend)_

My spanish left him flabbergasted. His usually composed and smiling face just stared at me in disbelief. I then noticed him tilt his head slightly and stare intently at me, fully engaged and curious. I blushed deeply at the sudden interest and let my hair fall to my face, and he caught that. And the unexpected happened.

He smiled at me.

_Did the sight of me blushing because of him…. make him smile?_

At that moment, it felt as if it was only him and I in the room. Staring at each other, with me being shy around him as always and him laughing at my reaction in affection. Just like the way it was when we first met and were friends. And when the possibility of a future together still existed.

The thought was enough to make my eyes water a little bit. I could feel my eyes turn red and the sadness intensified in my heart. But the sight of him smiling and laughing because of me brought upon a new sentiment. And to my despair, I realized I was singing the right song for this moment…

And that hurt.

Although I could tell he noticed the redness in my watery eyes as soon as his smile turned into a concerned frown, I smiled at him anyway. I smiled at my beloved Owen. I gathered up the courage, to sing the last verse of the song. Deep down, I knew that Owen knew that I was singing a song for him to express the hurt and sadness I have felt over the end of what we could have had.

I continued:

_Y aunque vivi enamorada (even though I lived in love)_

_Y totalmente equivocada (and totally in the wrong)_

_No me importa, (it never mattered to me)_

_Porque esto si fue amor (because this really was love)_

_Por mi parte, lo mas lindo, (on my part, the most beautiful)_

_El mas grande amor (and most grand love)_

_Y aunque siempre lo renuncies (and even though you will forever denounce it)_

_Para mi (for me)_

_Fue lo mas bello (it was the most beautiful)_

I gently brought the song to an end and took a deep breath as I closed my eyes.

_Fue lo mas…. bello._

Loud applause made me open my eyes again. I was too much lost in my feelings to notice the tears in Hayden's eyes, or Dale sobbing on Ramsey's shoulder, or Simon toppling over Bo as he stood up clapping vigorously. My friends were cooing and Maya was in hysterics as she cried into a very annoyed Chase's shoulder.

"Encore!"

"I didn't know she could sing like that!"

"I don't know what kind of song that was but it makes me want tequila!"

"That was amazing, Rose!"

As custom requires me to do, I stood up from the bench and bowed. My eyes trailed from everyone else's until I reluctantly met Owen's. He was the only one in the room that stayed quiet. He just stared at me, completely lost in a trance of sorts. By the glassy look on his face, I had the feeling that he knew what I just sang about. I winced a little in embarrassment; Owen doesn't know Spanish… does he? Oh man, if he did this would be so embarrassing….

Calvin stood up from the bench and placed his hands on my shoulder to turn me around. He stared deeply into my eyes briefly before leaning towards my face and lightly pressed his lips on my reddened cheek. I gasped and my hands went straight to my mouth. Calvin finally leaned back and smiled happily at me.

"Today, I'm one step closer to being the happiest man alive."

More roaring applause.

XXXXXXXXXXX

I swiftly marched home. My heart was in flutters after what happened at the bar tonight, and I was conflicted with confusion.

_Why did Calvin kiss me? Is he affirming something for me? What was going on Owen's head? Did I make a mistake by singing that song…? Harvest Goddess, what's going on? Please help me if you can hear me…_

I half expected the beautiful goddess to be at my door after my prayer once I arrived to my farm. I was quite off.

It was Selena waiting for me by my door instead.

I stopped in my tracks. "What are you doing here? Go away."

The belly dancer smirked at me and looked critically at my farm. "Hm. You know I used to hear around town that you're supposed to be like… famous outside the island. I'm starting to question that because if I were famous, I would not live in a dump like this."

"Good for you. Get the hell off my dump, please."

Selena laughed mockingly and waved my threat away. "So aggressive! Aren't Spanish people supposed to be hospitable?"

I tried to walk past her, "I'm half Spanish."

"What's the other half?"

"Hostile."

Selena stretched out an arm and blocked my entrance. I sighed and glared at her pointedly. "You know I have no problem breaking a girl's arm, right?"

"Don't talk to me like that, you lowly farmer! You don't want to anger my much stronger boyfriend, now would you?"

I clenched up my fists and stared at her. Selena smirked once she realized she hit a soft spot. I hated that. I hated how everyone was doing that to me today.

"What the hell do you want, slut bucket."

"That's not my name."

"My apologies. What in the nine hells do you want, you twisted slut bucket."

Selena clenched her fists and almost charged at me but suddenly stopped. She hissed under her breath, "Listen here, you have caused enough trouble for me but now you are going to fix the mess you made. You've always been a threat to my relationship with Owen and I am going to make sure you stop."

I crossed my arms, "And how are you going to do that?"

_Not that I was even trying, home skillet._

Selena's smile twisted into slightly demented one. "I have a proposal for you."

"Really? You'd be the third proposal I had today. And I've said no to all of them."

I walked past her and pushed her off my door quite easily. It must've been the newfound strength from mining all those weeks… holy crap, maybe I could go off against Owen if Selena sent him after me…

"Not so fast, bitch. If you don't help me, I will do all I can to destroy your sister's life. I will get her fired from her job and I will end her relationship with Luke."

I quickly spun around in fury, my attention on her now. Things just got extremely serious.

"Are you out of your goddamn mind?! You honestly think anyone would believe that?"

"I have discriminating proof," Selena replied with a wicked grin on her face, "You see… Luke and I dated once. Imagine how Marina would feel if she found out the things we've done. How much… her boyfriend loved to experiment… all our pictures. Wouldn't it be a shame if I posted them around town? She will absolutely REFUSE to marry him now!"

_Marina…._

"Stop it! Stop talking, I don't want to hear it! I'll do anything just leave my sister alone!" I screamed as I covered my ears. Was this girl really willing to do anything just to have her way?! What was wrong with her?

"That's more like it," chuckled Selena. "Look how obedient you are! You're too easy, like a little puppy. No wonder your mother had so much control over you like a submissive little-"

"Shut up! Just tell me what the hell you want so you can leave my sister alone!"

"I want you to…." Selena leaned in and forced me to look at her. I stared back at her stony gaze, her red eyes burning fiercely with a sadistic form of satisfaction at the situation. I stared back defiantly, refusing to break down in any way.

She smiled insidiously and gently said, "Help Owen propose to me."


	19. A Change in Perspective

**Hi again! Sorry for the long hiatus, I've been working quite hard lately:( anyways I thought I'd make it up with a "surprise" chapter;) I hope you like it!**

**WARNING: It contains some mature content, so viewer discretion is advised!**

**Enjoy!**

"AND YOU AGREED TO IT?!" Adam yelled at the top of his lungs in absolute disbelief.

I winced a bit and leaned back on my chair a bit, "I had no choice. Luke wouldn't tell Marina the past between him and Selena because he knows damn well Marina has only wanted a "pure" man. Come on, you know this."

It was true. Although Marina deeply enjoyed the attention she got from men, she only ever wanted to be with one that was innocent, so to speak. I never truly understood why, but I think it had something to do with the fact that deep down, Marina just really wanted someone who would wholeheartedly love her for her instead of her looks. Selena's threat of posting such material around would absolutely tarnish this hope of hers. I couldn't let that happen. I couldn't let her go through what I went through.

Adam leaned against the wall of my house and slowly slumped into the ground. He sighed and rubbed his forehead.

"Oh god… Marina's chance at finding one decent guy at last in her life can't be ruined. Rose, what are we gonna do?"

He looked up at me miserably. I looked back at him with the same look on my face before sighing and getting up from my chair. I walked to my telephone and started to dial a number. My brother stared at my quizzically before asking, "Oh no, what are you gonna do?"

"It's time to ask the cousins to come back."

XXXXXXXXXX

_Five…. Why did he kiss her…. Four…. Are they a couple... Three…. Goddess, he is too much… two…. But why is this….. bugging me so much? _

Owen took one last labored breath.

_O-one!_

Done. Owen quickly set down the dumbbells and sat on his bed to catch his breath. He has been working out for nearly three hours but no matter how much he tried, he could not get the image of the petite dancer out of his mind. No, not dancer. _Farmer._

_A farmer. She really was serious, wasn't she?_

He shook his head, sending tiny beads of sweat from his dark red hair all over the place. Taking a towel from his drawer, he walked out of his room into the kitchen to find something to drink. After working out tirelessly for hours, Owen was amazed he wasn't even feeling faint after going without water for so long.

Owen opened the fridge and pulled out a pitcher of water. As soon as he closed the door, he saw Chloe standing next to it wearing a fluffy robe and a mug of what appeared to be apple cider. She glanced up at Owen and made a face.

"You stink."

"Haha, so you notice," Owen grinned as he gulped down nearly the entire pitcher.

"So what's wrong with Rose this time?"

Owen stopped drinking mid-gulp and coughed a bit. He looked at Chloe with surprise and asked, "What are you talking about?"

Chloe shrugged and rubbed a sleepy eye. "Usually when something bad happens between you two, you work out a lot and Rose sings by herself in the fields."

"She what?"

This was news to the miner. He didn't even know Rose actually liked singing or was actually much better at singing until last night. Oh but that night….

"She sings. People in town say that sometimes when she's sad and you walk past her farm, you can faintly hear her singing. Paolo and Taylor actually sit near her farm and wait to hear her sing sometimes." Chloe stuck out her bottom lip a bit, "But she sings sadly. And it makes me sad. And it's your fault."

Chloe stuck a finger out at Owen and slanted her eyes, "So fix it."

Owen's jaw dropped. What's going on? It wasn't even his fault that everything turned out this way! He didn't even know Rose actually felt sad; how could she when she's with someone like Calvin?

"H-hey! I didn't do anything! What am I even supposed to do? We don't talk!" Owen said defiantly.

His young cousin shrugged and took a sip of her apply cider. "Beats me, I'm just a kid. Just do something like adults do."

She walked back to the rooms but not before turning back and frowning at Owen one last time.

"But shower first. That's a start."

XXXXXXXXXX

"Yeah man! Apparently that's what people say, but to tell you the truth, I've never heard her. Why do you ask?" asked Luke cheerfully.

Owen looked away and continued scrubbing the dirt out of his hands.

"Nothing. Just wanted to make sure Chloe wasn't telling one of her fibs again."

It was around 5 in the afternoon and the summer sun was in full fury. Thankfully it was around the time Owen usually got off from work so he joined his best friend Luke by the waterfall so they could go for a quick swim. It was quite common for people to bathe by the waterfall's base and today they had the entire place to themselves. It was great to catch up with Luke after being gone for so long, but even still the topic of that farmer always came up. If not in conversation, in his thoughts. It was incredibly frustrating.

"Bro, are you still mad at Rose?" Luke asked quietly.

Owen quickly turned back at Luke and looked at him squarely in the face. He struggled to find a good answer to give, but he couldn't lie to him. Not to Luke.

"I… I don't know. Just when I want to talk to her again and ask to make up, I can't help but to think of all the things she does that I can't stand. I can't stand the fact that she spends almost all her time with Calvin out of all people or the stuff she did back then as a performer. I can't, man. It's… it's hard."

Luke gave a sympathetic nod at Owen before taking off his shirt and diving into the large pool of water. Owen smiled a bit. It was a good thing Luke knew him well enough to know that sometimes he doesn't feel up for talking. Especially with issues like these. Owen quickly followed suit and took off his shirt, stretching his sore muscles before jumping in.

"*whistle* Heyyyyy now, couldn't you hold on until I stopped by first?"

Owen quickly looked up and felt a little embarrassment shadow his face when he saw Marina winking at him and playfully waving. She was joking of course, but he could never help but feel a little timid at her rather brazen personality and remarks. Marina quickly made her way down to the side of the pool and searched the water for any sign of Luke. Owen watched as she squealed with shock and joy when her boyfriend suddenly popped out of the water and planted a quick kiss on the drop-dead gorgeous dancer. She leaned towards him as she grabbed his wet face with both hands and pressed her lips against his tightly. He grinned a bit, pleased to know that his best friend found love in his absence.

Suddenly Marina looked up and stared at Owen, blinking twice as if she was making sure it was really him. Owen almost instinctively felt like he should have probably kept his shirt on…

"Wait a minute, why are YOU here?"

"Uh… to take a bath?" Owen asked, unsure of why the dancer was looking alarmed.

Marina stood up quickly and put a hand over her mouth in terror. "W-wait! You can't be here! You have to leave! Get out!" She then quickly turned over her shoulder and yelled out behind her, "Don't come out! Whatever you do, don't come here! Turn back! Turn back!"

_What is she getting so frantic about? This is a public place, everyone knows that. Who is she talking to anyway?_

Then he knew why.

Because he heard that melody. That sweet melody that was _her_ voice.

"Why not? Is it a spider this time? It's okay, I'll get it…"

Then there she was. She was slowly making her way into the bank of the pool to join her sister, too busy tying the back of her swimsuit to notice her surroundings. Then she looked up, and Owen saw those radiant amethyst eyes look straight at his.

_Rose…._

His shock was immediately replaced by intense embarrassment when his eyes finally travelled away from hers and noticed what she was wearing: a teal string bikini with a sheer light blue sarong delicately wrapped around her waist. The sarong perfectly draped over her wide hips, accentuating her voluptuous figure. He then noticed streaks of dirt across her face, arms, and legs.

_Oh goddess I bet she comes here to clean herself off too…. No way I could have known since I wasn't here! What do I do?!_

He fought to keep his gaze off her, fighting the urge to keep looking at her to see if she really looked like the way he imagined it in his dreams. Those dreams he was too embarrassed to admit to having, about the woman he only ever had such dreams about. Dreams about how she looked like underneath all her makeup and costumes. And she was right here…

Rose's arms quickly shot up to cover her breasts. She quickly turned her head to the side, letting her thick red hair fall over hair and cover part of her breasts. Owen looked away too, reminding himself to breathe.

_Crap, out of all times! Okay, calm down Owen. Remember, you're dating Selena. Rose is Calvin's. They belong together. We belong together. It's not right to look at another girl! Especially when she's…. when she's…_

"Hey Rose! Don't be shy! Come join us, there's room for everyone!" yelled out Luke cheerfully, as always. Rose quietly whispered, "No thank you, I could bathe at the spring by my house-"

The red haired farmer's eyes slowly made their way into Owen's; he felt frozen in place, unable to think or say anything. His eyes refused to budge from hers, both out of transfixion and embarrassment. He noticed as her eyes slightly flickered from his eyes to his exposed muscular chest; his expression changed from stoic to almost flustered as he noticed her large eyes widen and she quickly turned her head away from him again. Her thick hair curtained her face so he was unable to see her face, which made him nervous.

_Oh goddess, did I repulse her? Did the sight of me scare her or something…?_

"I- I have to go!" Rose suddenly exclaimed with a little stutter.

Luke tilted his wet head in confusion and frowned at her as he asked, "But why? What are you gonna do?"

"Milk a cow, plant a tree. GEE, I DON'T KNOW LUKE WHAT ELSE DO FARMERS DO?" Rose yelled. Owen couldn't help but smile to himself at the sight. Rose was not particularly known for her temper, but when she got mad, it was quite an impressive sight to see. He folded his large arms over his chest and settled back to watch the scene unraveling right in front of him.

This ought to be good.

He watched as his best friend got out of the water to plant a quick peck on the cheek on his tall girlfriend, who turned slightly red at the touch. He turned to Rose and gave her a sympathetic smile at her distress and said, "Then how about joining us at the circus tomorrow?"

_The circus…. I totally forgot that was tomorrow. Is… is Rose going?_

Rose turned her head towards Luke and looked at him blankly. She turned her eyes to the ground and kept them there, whether it was in embarrassment or shame Owen wouldn't know.

"What's the matter, Rose? Don't like circuses? You gotta go! It's AWESOME." Luke said as he pumped an excited fist into the air. Marina giggled by his side in amusement.

"What's a circus?" asked Rose, so quietly that Owen barely caught that.

Luke looked at Marina, who in return, shrugged.

"What can I say? We didn't really have much of a life other than dance. We've been places, but rarely tried anything," explained Marina rather casually.

"Really? That's crazy! I hear that since the circus is missing some animals, they're bringing in a surprise performance, man! Rose you HAVE to come now! I'll treat the both of y'all out, whaddya say ladies? Unless, you're going with Calvin tomorrow?" Luke asked, almost too purposely. Owen caught that and narrowed his eyes at Luke.

_Why the hell would he bring up that freeloader? Especially in my face?_

Owen quickly flickered his eyes at Rose's direction but seemed surprise at the rather calloused expression on her face. The sound of Calvin's name didn't arouse any emotion whatsoever, instead, she looked as if she was dreading something. But what could it be? What was bothering her mind right now?"

"No… I'm too busy either way. You two should go." Rose said, allowing a small smile to appear on her face.

That did it. Owen's chest tightened when he saw that small smile that disappeared as quick as it came. He felt a rush of adrenaline through his veins to his heart, increasing his heart beats instantaneously, and he forgot to breathe. It was a feeling that was all too familiar. And he hated it.

He hated how she still had that effect on him. It wasn't fair.

_Then why can't I keep my eyes off of her?_

For reasons he missed out on due to his pondering mind, he soon found himself alone at the waterfall with Rose who was still actually covering her chest. Owen sighed deeply upon realizing that she probably would not get out of the water until he was clear out of sight. Although there was this magnetic pulse in his chest to keep her in his eyesight, he fought that urge by diving into the cold water and swimming as far away as he could from her.

_That's probably what she wants anyway. To be alone. Might as well, I shouldn't be looking at another man's girl anyway…_

Especially when she could have been his.

XXXXXXXXXXX

It was well past 7 but since it was summer, it was barely sunset. Dusk fell over the waterfall and once Owen couldn't see the transparency of the water, he decided it was time to go. He spent a lot more time swimming than he planned to but of course, Rose had to be a reason why. She made him angry. She made him flustered. She made him sad. She made him feel more awake. She made him want to stay away. She made him want to be as close as he can get to her. It was a pain to sort out the feelings he felt towards her now and the feelings he felt back then.

No, there was something there. There still was. Why else would she still make him feel that way?

Owen shook his head as he stepped out of the water into the rocky pavement.

_This is crazy… I tired myself out more than usual today and I STILL can't get her out of my mind. I will never understand why… Maybe the old man can help me out with this one._

Owen took his towel from the ground and put it over his shoulder, not feeling up to drying himself yet. He walked down the path that would lead him back up to the mine district when he noticed a figure in the water.

Rose.

_Whoa! What is she still doing here?! She should have left by now! Isn't she at home by this time already?_

Not that he cared, he just happened to know from Luke. Well… he asked. But it's still not as if he cared.

The farmer had her arms folded over the pavement and had her head resting on top of them. Her entire body other than some of her upper half was still in the water, suspiciously enough. Owen felt himself gulp but there was nowhere else to turn. This was the only path back up. Plus he couldn't bring himself to leave a girl alone.

Especially if it was Rose.

_Ramsey wouldn't like it if I just left her here alone… might as well go ask her what's wrong._

"Hey, why are you still here?" asked Owen, trying his best to seem as uninterested as possible. He felt his heart skip a beat when the lovely farmer raised her head from her arms and looked up at him. She looked at him with a bit of exhaustion in her eyes but didn't seem too fazed, it almost seemed as she was expecting him or something.

She sighed deeply and asked, "Can you help me?"

_I'll jump over a fence for you. I'll break a rock with my own hands for you. I'll stay underwater forever for you. Anything for you. Oh goddess, not those thoughts again…._

Owen scratched the back of his head. "Uh… sure. What is it?"

He kept his gaze on her as he saw her shift her small body a bit as she turned to point to her left somewhere over the water bank.

"I gave Marina my sarong to put on the ground before I got in. But she put it way out of my reach. Can you pick it up for me?" Rose turned back to Owen and looked at him with a rather timid but controlled look on her face, "I'm sorry to be such a burden to you but I promise I won't bother you after this time."

_You bother me so much… but at the same time I find myself wanting to do anything for you. What gives?_

Owen was generally a very generous and kind man, and he knew it. Instinctively, he knew he should help and he was. But at the same time, the thought of her betrayal. The way she made him believe he was the only one, when she made someone else feel that way behind his back. Not to mention how seductive she was to every customer…

_Either way, I can't leave her like this… but I can get her back._

Owen grinned. Sure, he would help her. But help himself at the same time.

"Sure."

He walked over to where the blue sarong laid and he picked it up, surprised at how weightless it was. He turned around and held up the sarong, "Here it is." He smiled mischievously, "Come and get it."

He almost felt like chuckling when he saw Rose's reaction. Her eyes widened and her jaw dropped slowly upon realizing what he was doing. He knew she figured out that he was not going to hand her the sarong, rather he was going to make her come out of the water. Her tiny hands formed fists and her surprised reaction turned into an angry one.

How can someone so angry look downright adorable at the same time?

"I said to give it to me!"

"No you didn't, you asked if I could _pick_ it up for you. Not _hand_ it to you," Owen said with a chuckle. "So come over here and get it. I'm waiting."

_This is so wrong… but this is too fun to pass up. _

Owen couldn't help but think that a small part of him was also curious to see how Rose looked like in a bathing suit. Maybe it was a guy thing to want to see girls scantily clad but that wasn't it. It was the fact that it was Rose. Rose the famous dancer. Rose the famous farmer. Rose the most wanted woman in Castanet. But mainly Rose the woman he longed for the most in his heart.

It was a fact he fought so hard to change, but failed to continuously each day.

_Well, she doesn't want me anyway. It wouldn't hurt just this one time right? Maybe I'll stop wondering or thinking about those… bad thoughts. I won't wonder once I know._

Owen wasn't sure if it was the right logic to go by, but he just decided to go along with it. Plus, he kind of missed messing around with Rose.

"I'm not getting out, not with you around!" yelled Rose angrily, the water around her splashing loudly. Her cheeks were starting to turn as red as her hair, a trait Owen absolutely loved about her. The one trait that was enough to dissolved his anger and replace it with nothing but sheer adoration.

He smiled at her, making her flinch a bit in surprise.

He then proceeded to sit on the ground, placing the sarong next to him.

"I guess I'm staying here until you-"

Owen quickly shut up as he heard water splashing louder. He turned his head and his eyes widened in alarm as he saw his dream girl get out of the water in what seemed to be slow motion. First he saw her face: clearly angry with her lips tightly pressed into a thin line. Then he saw the rest of her. Her hefty breasts, her toned stomach, and her muscular legs in that order.

Rose started to walk towards Owen with that same controlled expression on her face. Owen recognized it from the many stories she shared with him about how she dealt with men looking at her; the way she kept her face calm with much control even though on the inside she was a nervous wreck. He knew that she was shy, and that she knew how to fake confidence. It kind of sucked how she looked at him like that now though.

_She knows I'm looking at her… she really is good at faking her emotions despite the fact that I'm practically drooling at her. She's looking at me like one of those men… But why can't I stop staring?!_

He was eyeing her hard now. It took all of Owen's mental strength to keep his eyes on hers as she walked towards him but he could still see perfectly her entire body. Those strong legs that were toned from years of dancing, those arms that have been nicely sculpted after farming for a while, those voluptuous hips that are surely a Hispanic trait, but what surprised him the most (much to Owen's embarrassment) were her breasts.

Rose would often drop small hints of how she felt embarrassed of her bosom due to the fact that her sister had a larger one. Owen didn't care if Rose had smaller ones or even none at all. All that mattered to him was her heart and her beautiful personality. He never really thought much about what her breast size was in comparison.

Until now.

_Goddess, help me now… Rose was being way too modest. This is WAY too much for me to take in right now. Breathe, Owen. Breathe._

Owen fought to hide the alarming way his heart rate started to speed up. To his shock, he found himself sweating. He not once sweated because of a girl, yet here he was, feeling like a young boy that has laid eyes on one for the first time.

_No, not a girl… an actual woman. No girl looks like that._

Rose bent down to Owen's eyes level. She stared at his eyes with a neutral expression on her face as she slowly reached down and quickly yanked the sarong out of his hands.

Owen didn't resist.

"Don't tease me like that again. I gave my brother a black eye once because of that."

She stood up and spoke again, "By the way I have a message for you. Tomorrow, go to the circus. That's all."

Owen couldn't even respond to the breathtaking beauty in front of him. How could he when he was mentally repeating to himself profusely to keep his eyes on her own instead of letting them trail down to her tempting figure? Instead he stayed quiet as he kept his eyes on her cold ones.

Rose turned her eyes away from his and kept her eyes fixed straight ahead of her. She proceeded to walk away from him, leaving Owen where he was sitting still in a state of shock. He let out a gasp after a while, finally remembering to breathe.

_This girl… will be the death of me. I can't even look at her without feeling like some hormonal kid that doesn't' know how to talk! Did she mention the circus or something? I can't believe I forgot!_

The miner turned around to ask Rose for confirmation, a reaction he immediately regretted. Apparently Rose was too angry at him to remember to actually wrap the sarong over her bikini bottoms. And there she was, walking away with her back to him. Walking away without the sarong on, exposing a more impressive sight than the rest of her body.

Owen felt a strong tightening feeling in his groin area and he immediately snapped out of his trance. He quickly got up and dove head first into the now icy cold water.

_Nope. Nope. Not today._

XXXXXXXXXX

It was Summer 22, the very next day, and Owen still could not get over the images firmly implanted on his head of Rose. He felt intense regret over taunting Rose like that, not only because she got really mad but because now he thought of her more than before.

_I shouldn't have… I honestly thought I would have gotten those thoughts out of my head but now I can't stop thinking about her at all. Way to go Owen, you idiot._

Even as he sat with his best friend in front of a stage set up for the circus's arrival, he could not stop himself thinking about Rose.

That Rose… she was nothing but trouble. She could make him feel two different things at the same time and he wouldn't know which one was the right feeling. The only that felt right was the one he knew was wrong. But the one that felt wrong also felt so right.

_Selena is my girl. She doesn't deserve any of this, I just hope I don't end up hurting her. This isn't right. Rose hurt me, she never liked me. In the end she chose Calvin… not me._

That thought alone was enough to buffer Owen's constant romanticized thoughts of the former dancer. His expression went from troubled to downright gloomy upon remembering the reason why he couldn't be with her. It hurt. The impact upon remembering was always hard. The perfect girl he cared about so deeply turned out to not be as kind or honest as he thought she was.

"Bro? What's with the face? The show is about to start!" Luke piped up as he nudged Owen in a friendly manner.

Owen blinked at him a bit before shaking his head a bit. He stretched out his arms, which were quite tense from all his pondering. "Sorry, I was thinking about work. I'll pay attention."

Almost right on cue, performers ran to the stage from behind the circus's tent and piled up neatly into the stage. Jazzy, upbeat music began to play and the performers gracefully began to dance around a central figure that Owen couldn't see. Her back was turned to the crowd and he noticed dark red hair spilled across her back. He squinted his eyes to get a better view.

_Could it be…?_

She turned around. It was Selena.

The belly dancer smiled smugly and raised a microphone over lips and to Owen's surprise, began to sing:

_Love isn't funny_

_When it is burning inside_

_When all you think of_

_Is how to get through the night_

_And when you want it_

_It's just a game that you play_

_And when you get it_

_They're gonna take it away_

The performers followed Selena as she descended towards the crowd, dancing just as gracefully. As they got closer, Owen's jaw dropped as he realized who they were.

They were Rose's family of dancers.

He saw familiar faces: Alma, Rosalinda, Bryce, even Marina's. The entire dance company was there and he didn't understand why. He didn't even know when they came. But why did Rose tell him to come if she wasn't going to show up at all? Why is Selena performing? The surprise performance was Selena and the Miranda Dance Company? None of this made sense to the miner.

_Selena sings? She never told me that!_

He felt nudges on his back and cheers from some of the town's men behind him. Dale patted his back, "Yer girl is putting on a show for ya, huh? Get it, boy!"

Owen gave him a half smile and nodded, ignoring the rest of the compliments from the other guys. It seemed kind of strange that Luke out of all people wasn't complimenting him about Selena at all. Instead Luke was looking straight ahead, looking rather annoyed.

_What's gotten into him?_

Selena was clearly enjoying the attention she was getting from the audience as she sang before remembering that Owen was in front of her. She turned her gaze towards him and her smile curved into a seductive one.

_Maybe it's nothing_

_Maybe it's all just in my mind_

_Maybe I'm foolish_

_Maybe it's just a waste of time_

She walked slowly towards Owen, who widened his eyes but kept his arms folded over his chest as always. He managed to smile at her to encourage her, although deep down he felt gloomy that she couldn't give him that same affect Rose gave him. Despite the fact that Selena was truly a beautiful woman who clearly has a seductive aura about her, Owen never felt his heart or mind go as crazy as it did whenever he laid eyes on Rose. He shook the thought out of his head and continued to smile at Selena.

_This is sweet of her. It really is. I guess I'm too lucky to have someone like Selena…_

Selena stopped a short distance away from Owen and sang out in a sweeter tone:

_But I don't think so_

_Maybe I definitely know_

_That maybe_

_Maybe I'm in…_

At that moment two dancers, Marina and Diego, ran towards the stage and (quite elegantly and staged) pulled down on its curtains from the sides. The audience let out a loud gasp as the curtains came crashing down. The biggest surprise of all was the revelation of a lone figure behind the stage that clearly hiding behind the curtains all along. Without a doubt, it was Rose herself. Owen's arms dropped to his sides in sheer shock.

Rose quickly turned around towards the curtains and her jaw dropped as she noticed that the curtains fell and she was exposed. Funny enough, it was noticed that Selena's mouth kept moving but no words were coming out before she realized that she couldn't hear the lyrics anymore. Selena quickly stopped and turned around towards the stage in confusion and anger. When she realized that the stage's curtains collapsed and saw Rose there, she eyed her with much hatred in her eyes although her body started to shake a bit in anxiety.

However, everyone also noticed that Rose actually had a microphone in her other hand when she turned, and loud murmurs were heard from the crowd.

"What's the meaning of this?"

"What's Rose doing there?"

"Oh my goddess, was she singing this whole time?"

"Was Selena lip syncing?"

"I knew that lazy bum couldn't sing to save her life!"

Boos started to bombard Selena. She stood there in confusion, disbelief clouding her face. She turned towards Owen with a horrified expression on her face, which Owen returned with a confused one.

Then it dawned on him.

Selena lied. She somehow set up Rose to sing as she lip-synced. And now she was caught.

Selena's eyes welled up with tears and ran away from the audience after she tore her tearful eyes away from Owen's. He sat there, uncertain if what happened really happened.

_She lied to me… so this whole time it was actually Rose singing? What the hell is going on?_

Luke stood up next to him and yelled at the crowd, "The show goes on, folks! The show goes on!"

Right on cue, Rose's family kept on dancing as Bryce and Diego elegantly waltzed towards Rose and picked her up by her arms. They lifted her up as they strode towards the audience and gently placed her right in front of everyone; the rest of the dancers kept on dancing to the still playing music and sang along to fill in the pause to the song:

_Ba-da-da-da-da, ba-da-da-da-da-da_

_Ba-da-da-da-da, ba-da-da-da-da-da_

_Ba-da-da-da-da, ba-da-da-da-da-da_

_Ba-da-da-da-da, ba-da-da-da-da-da_

All the while they had formed a line and were pushing Rose along it, dipping her the ground, spinning her around, and even swaying her around. The poor girl looked confused and a little scared the entire time, unsure of what to do now that she was exposed. Her family clearly knew that no matter what, the show must go on and they kept going at it quite impressively. Somehow Rose ended up getting pushed closer and closer to Owen until she was fairly close to him by this point. The confused audience quickly regained its excitement although it escalated more and more as Rose was pushed closer. Owen cleared his throat, feeling heat rise up to his cheeks as the beauty got closer to him; he knew that this must've been a plan of sorts, maybe planned by Luke himself. But all he could think of was what was going to happen next.

The crowd was on to them. Everyone was getting progressively excited at the sight of their popular miner and pretty farmer getting pushed towards each other. It was no secret that these two had a history, and it looked like everyone was about to find out what it was.

Marina yelled out to Rose, "SING ROSE FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT'S HOLY!"

Rose flinched a bit at her sister's urging and fiercely kept her eyes on the ground as she shakily brought up the microphone to her mouth and sang:

_Maybe it's nothing_

_Maybe it's all just in my mind_

_Maybe I'm foolish_

_Maybe it's just a waste of time_

Then Rose's up slowly shifted from the ground and made their way up towards Owen's eyes. She timidly sang out to him:

_But I don't think so_

_Maybe I definitely know_

_Why do I keep fooling myself_

_Why can't I let go_

_This is not like me_

_But now I definitely see_

_That maybe, oh-oh-oh-oh maybe_

_Maybe I'm in… love_

The performers let out a loud series of "ba-da-da's" like before as soon as Rose said the word "love". Maybe that's how the song goes but Owen heard it. And his heart dropped. No… rose up. He stared at those violet eyes, seeking any hints of dishonesty or maybe hesitation. She just stared back at him, turning furiously red all the while. They stared deeply at each other until next thing they knew, the music stopped playing.

Both of them snapped back into reality at the sound of thunderous applause. People jumped out of their seats, knocking some in the process. Owen sat glued to his seat, completely immune to the loud noise behind him. All he could think of was of what just happened as his mind started to connect the dots.

_I don't know how but… she's innocent. I know it. I just know it. Selena set her up… I don't think Rose would do something like this for someone she didn't care about. She must… that song… she…. I…. _

He wanted to reach out to her, to grab her by her hand, pull her away from the crowd, and ask her if he was right. Either way, he just wanted to hold her. Rose looked so scared, so vulnerable as she stood there timidly while people began to crowd around her. This wasn't a performance. It was heartfelt, something she meant deep within her heart. And that's why she felt so scared of saying it.

No costume, no makeup, no rehearsal. It was all from her heart.

Her cousins began to pull her away from the excited crowd and they scurried away back into town. Without thinking Owen quickly jumped up and yelled out, "Rose!"

Despite the overwhelming loudness of the crowd, she still heard him thank goodness. Rose turned back towards him and he saw that she tried to walk towards him. However, the crowd was getting too rowdy and one of her male cousins pulled her back protectively and picked her up swiftly. She turned back to Owen with alarm and sadness written in her face and she mouthed, "I'm sorry," before she was taken back to town with the rest of her family.

Without any thought, Owen found himself charging past the crowd. He effortlessly pushed through everyone thanks to his immense size and strength, not caring about who he had to push or shove to get out of his way.

All he could think was of one thing.

_I have to get her back._


End file.
